Photo Credit: United Nations 

Verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence more than doubled globally in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to a new United Nations report released on Friday.

The annual report by UN Secretary General António Guterres documented 9,788 verified cases in 2025, compared with 4,617 cases recorded in 2024. According to the report, women and girls remained the primary targets, while incidents were marked by extreme brutality across several conflict zones.

The United Nations said the documented figures likely represent only a fraction of actual cases because insecurity, conflict and restrictions on humanitarian access continue limiting reporting and investigations in affected regions. The report listed 77 parties, including state and non-state actors, linked to verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence across 21 conflict-affected countries.

Israeli armed security forces and Russian armed security forces were included as new state actors in the report. Three new non-state armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were also added. The report stated that sexual violence continued to be used as a tactic of war, terrorism, torture and political repression in multiple conflicts.

Civilians were subjected to rape, gang rape, abduction and sexual slavery by both state and non-state actors, according to the United Nations. The report further warned that displaced people, refugees and migrants, particularly women and girls, remained highly vulnerable to sexual violence in conflict-affected regions.

Cases of sexual violence in detention settings were also documented in conflicts involving Israel and the State of Palestine, as well as Russia and Ukraine. The United Nations said accountability for conflict-related sexual violence remained limited, with more than 65 percent of listed parties repeatedly appearing in UN reports for at least five years without corrective action.

The report was submitted to the UN Security Council on Thursday.