Sexual violence against children is endemic, systemic and worsening across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a new United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report released today. While conflict remains a major driver, the report shows cases documented in communities across every province and rising sharply since 2022. Nationwide data compiled by protection and gender-based violence service providers indicate that more than 35,000 cases of sexual violence against children were recorded in the first nine months of 2025, pointing to a crisis that continues to grow. In 2024, nearly 45,000 cases against children were recorded, accounting for almost 40 percent of all reported sexual violence cases—three times higher than in 2022.