UNICEF has raised the alarm over widespread and worsening sexual violence against children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), describing the crisis as endemic, systemic and deepening due to ongoing conflict and community breakdown. The agency’s findings highlight that thousands of children are being sexually abused, often in conflict-affected zones where armed groups, militia and opportunistic criminal networks operate with impunity.
According to the December 2025 UN report, children — especially girls — are facing assault, exploitation and coercion at rates that have surged amid years of instability in eastern and central provinces. The violence is not limited to sporadic incidents but reflects structural failures: weakened protection systems, limited access to education and services, displacement and pervasive insecurity that leave children vulnerable in both rural and urban settings.
UNICEF officials underlined that such abuse has long-term psychological, physical and social consequences that extend far beyond individual victims. Survivors often face stigma, interrupted schooling, trauma and heightened risk of poverty, creating cycles of harm that affect entire communities. Local child protection networks and humanitarian partners are struggling to respond, hampered by funding shortfalls and dangerous conditions that restrict movement and outreach.
The agency called for an urgent scaling up of protective services, expanded legal accountability for perpetrators, and stronger community-based mechanisms to prevent abuse and support survivors. UNICEF appealed to the international community, regional bodies and the DRC government to prioritise child protection as a fundamental component of peace and development efforts in the country.
