Nairobi, Kenya – According to UNICEF data released on Thursday, more than 79 million women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa have reported experiencing rape or sexual assault during their childhood. The shocking report has spotlighted the region as one of the most dangerous places in the world for young girls.

By this estimate, UNICEF puts the number of girls who are victims of sexual violence at around 370 million, with approximately one in five coming from sub-Saharan Africa before they reach the age of 18. “Sexual violence against children is a stain on our moral conscience,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.

This is the first time that such a figure has been presented, based on national data and international surveys collected from 2010 to 2022. Claudia Cappa, UNICEF’s chief statistician, acknowledged the gaps in data due to under-reporting from some countries but emphasized the importance of bringing visibility to the issue.

“We know the limitations, but we wanted to give visibility to the issue through numbers finally,” Cappa said. The figures reveal a staggering and terrifying reality, according to Nankali Maksud, UNICEF’s regional child violence specialist based in Nairobi. It is generations of trauma, Maksud added.

Maksud said that the very paramount far-reaching impacts sexual violence has on development. This phenomenon of sexual assault often finds attempts made to introduce girls to education thwarted. “A girl who has been raped or sexually assaulted is not able to learn,” she mentioned, underlining both mental and physical health long-term consequences.

The problem is acute in countries subjected to conflict and security. Sexual violence escalates within these places. Humanitarian agencies in Sudan have raised alarms over the rising vulnerability of women and girls in the ongoing conflict. First responders have documented the idea that the real numbers of sexual violence incidents are probably much greater than what has been reported, as most survivors do not or cannot go for medical or emergency care.

Children in unstable conditions are even more vulnerable to sexual violence, Russell noted. ‘In war-torn areas, rape and gender-based violence often take on forms of war, which makes things worse.’.

According to a new United Nations report, conflict zones in general and northern Unity in South Sudan, in particular, are logging intolerably high rates of sexual violence, with at least 134 women and girls who were raped and 41 who were subjected to physical and sexual exploitation from September to December last year.

Reports from Human Rights Watch say that the number of conflict-related sexual assaults in Sudan and other similar areas with conflicts remains substantially underreported, for survivors mostly face many barriers in looking for assistance.

According to new data from UNICEF, the problem of sexual violence among children demands strong protections and intervention measures firmly established in those areas with conflict and instability.

For more reporting like this, please follow Newsdecensored on your favorite social media sites and bookmark the website. Thank you for your interest and support.