A woman puts a portrait for a unprotected location in Shiraro on October 12, 2024, she told AFP that after a year in the collision she was trying to buy some food for her family when two Eritrea soldiers stopped and raped her. The two -year war in the Tigray area of Ethiopia left hundreds of thousands of people dead, more than a million were still displaced and caused more than $ 20 billion damage, until the deal in November 2022, ended bloodshed. Among the many barbaric acts caused to citizens during the two -year conflict in the northwestern region of Ethiopia of Tigray, rape and sexual violence was “systematic” and used as a war weapon, according to a study published in 2023 by the Scientific Journal BMC Women’s Health. Estimates of the number of rapes committed vary widely – up to 120,000 – according to data compiled by the researchers, with many hesitant reporting the attacks. The victims reported that most of the perpetrators were Ethiopia or Eritrea soldiers, as well as soldiers from the neighboring Amhara region. (Credit photo: Michele Spatari/AFP via Getty Images)
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In August 2025, the United Nations published the annual Report of Secretary -General for Sexual Violence associated with conflictalert of a sharp increase in sexual violence during conflict. As the report indicates, both state and non -state bodies were responsible for violations in more than 20 countries, with the highest numbers being recorded in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Congo People’s Republic, Haiti, Somalia and South Sudan. The exhibition, which has been presenting the data from 2024, showed that women and girls were the majority of the victims, but men, boys, people with various sexual orientations and gender identities were also targeted, ranging from one to 75.
The report underlined the use of sexual violence in detention, “including the form of torture, according to information in Israel and the state of Palestine, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria of the Arab Republic, Ukraine and Yemen. However, the report also stressed that the standards of sexual violence related to conflict in detention also influenced women and girls. In addition, in various environments, humanitarian access to detention facilities was severely limited or blocked, which further affected monitoring and reporting in cases of sexual violence, but also denied victims of life saving.
The report increased the use of sexual violence in the context of abduction and trafficking in human beings. Among other things, “In Sudan, women and girls who were abducted in Darfur and the largest paper from elements of the rapid support forces were transferred in some cases to remote locations where they were raped, while being violently held for several days or months.
The report lists dozens of government and non -state bodies reliable candidates or responsible for sexual violence standards in armed conflict. For the first time, the report also calls parts ”to notice“For the possible registration in the next annual report, including Russia and Israel,” due to significant concerns about the standards of certain forms of sexual violence that have been firmly documented by the United Nations “. In relation to Russia, the Secretary -General pointed out to the Russian Secretary -General. and 22 unofficial detention facilities in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. “
The report further emphasized the need for justice and accountability. However, as he notes, the impunity for sexual violence associated with conflicts remained the rule in 2024, with ongoing conflicts and a lack of policy will limit accountability procedures to national level. As he pointed out, “the official justice system is inaccessible to survivors due to the lack of legal assistance and the need to travel long distances to achieve competent authorities, the risks of security and the costs associated with travel and judicial proceedings. iceberg.
The report makes several recommendations to address the ever -increasing number of cases of sexual violence associated with conflict. However, with the proliferation and escalation of conflicts worldwide, the levels of displacement and militarization and the minimal political will to address these issues, the recommendations are likely to remain unacceptable.
