The head of the U.N. children’s program, UNICEF, said Thursday that 16 million children in Sudan are suffering horribly from the country’s civil war, with many facing daily threats of violence, starvation, disease and sexual assault.

Children are bearing the brunt of the violence. UNICEF has received alarming reports of grave violations against children, including killings, sexual violence and forced recruitment into armed groups.

In a new report, gender-based violence service providers in Sudan paint a searing picture of what children are being subjected to — including rape.

Right now, an estimated 12.1 million women and girls -- and increasingly men and boys -- are at risk of sexual violence,' says Catherine Russell - Anadolu Ajansı