Armed men in Sudan have raped hundreds of children, including some as young as 1, the United Nations children’s agency said this week as a catastrophic civil war nears its third year.

Health providers in Sudan have recorded 221 cases of rape since the start of 2024, according to the UNICEF report. Among the victims, 147 were girls and 74 were boys. Sixteen children were younger than 5 and four were only a year old.

The report incorporates firsthand accounts by victims and witnesses. Some were subjected to gang rape.

The children’s agency recorded instances of serious physical injury, psychological abuse and child marriage. Some of the victims were infected with HIV and other sexually transmitted viruses. There is no comprehensive data about sexual violence in Sudan, but a 2024 U.N. fact-finding mission reported that gender-based violence, including rape and sexual slavery, was prevalent in areas where the war between the Sudanese military and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, was being waged.

— The Associated Press