The BBC has confirmed that thousands of women have been raped and assaulted amid the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Amhara region.

According to data obtained by the BBC from 43 health centers and medical sources across the region, 2,697 cases of rape were reported between July 25, 2023, and May 2025. Alarmingly, 45 percent of the victims were children under the age of 18.

More than half of the survivors contracted sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during the assaults, while many others experienced unwanted pregnancies and severe psychological trauma. Health professionals note that a significant number of victims remain silent, fearing social stigma and unaware they may have contracted an STI or become pregnant.

Although both sides in the conflict—Fano militants and government security forces—have been implicated in the sexual violence, medical personnel report encountering more survivors who identify government soldiers as perpetrators.

One particularly harrowing case occurred on January 5, 2025, when a soldier from the Ethiopian Defense Forces, aided by fellow troops, raped a 21-year-old mother in front of her niece. “I begged them not to hurt me. I tried to touch them. But they had no mercy. They ruined me,” the victim told the BBC.

According to a BBC investigation, a government-sanctioned research team led by Bahir Dar University is examining the scale of sexual violence linked to the conflict in the Amhara region. The team is expected to publish its findings in the coming months.