The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says cases of conflict-related sexual violence increased by 50 per cent between 2022 and 2023, amid surge in conflicts around the world.

The Executive Director of the fund, Dr Natalia Kanem, disclosed this in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by Mr Adewole Ajao, the Communication Analyst of UNFPA Nigeria Country Office in Abuja.

The statement was on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, annually commemorated on June 19 to raise awareness on the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence.

The global observance is to honour victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world and pay tribute to those who devoted their lives and those who lost their lives in standing up for the eradication of these crimes.

According to Kanem, women rarely start wars but often suffer most from them as they are driven from their homes, separated from their families, deprived of livelihoods and subjected to violence.

She added that “their bodies should never be battlegrounds, yet they become so when sexual violence is deliberately used during conflicts to further terrorise them and their communities.

“Women and girls are being assaulted, raped and forced into marriage and sexual slavery, they are left to cope with dire consequences that can last a lifetime, including post-traumatic stress, sexually transmitted infections, social stigma and isolation, physical injury and unwanted pregnancies.”

She added that most cases of sexual violence are perpetrated against women, and that one third involve girls, while women defending human rights and providing frontline services have been increasingly targeted.

She noted that sexual violence in conflicts is a war crime and one that silences voices pleading for peace.

“That silence only deepens when those who speak out against rampant violations receive little support.

“Tragically, the vast majority of conflict-related sexual violence cases will go unreported and fewer still will be prosecuted.

“A large share of perpetrators will remain free, perpetuating impunity.

“Survivors are too often left with scant resources to heal their bodies and minds, especially where deliberate attacks on health facilities have left communities bereft of life-saving services.”

She, however, said that hearing and healing survivors of sexual violence was essential to lasting peace

She recalled that in 2023, UNFPA provided safety to six million people in 50 countries affected by crisis, stressing that “together, we must do more. We must scale up services to meet the needs and safeguard the rights of more survivors.

“To do so, it is critical to close the vast funding gap that stands in the way of progress.

“Right now, less than 15 per cent of the funds needed for essential prevention and protection services are available to respond to Gender-Based Violence in crises.”

She said that women representation is required in peace and political processes before, during and after conflicts.

She explained that their leadership and meaningful participation could steer humanitarian decision making to reduce and ultimately end sexual violence in war.

This, she said, is a principle that UNFPA advocates and practices as a leading frontline responder to Gender-Based Violence in humanitarian settings.

“Lasting peace will only be possible when we silence guns instead of survivors of sexual violence, when we create a world where women and girls can speak out and live in dignity and safety.”