Four in 10 deaths in war zones last year were women, UN report finds

Sudanese women in a refugee camp in Chad, who said they were shot last year by Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries in Geneina in West Darfur. Photograph: Finbarr O’Reilly/VII Photo

The proportion of women killed in conflicts around the world doubled last year, with women now accounting for 40% of all those killed in war zones, according to a new report by the United Nations.

The report from UN Women, which looks at the security situation for women and girls affected by war, says UN-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence also rose by 50% in 2023 compared with 2022.