Beirut, Dec 7 (AFP) Syrian men and boys, in their war-torn country and abroad, have suffered "a vicious cycle" ofsexual abuse with more devastating consequences thanpreviously reported, the United Nations said today.
In its new report, "We Keep it in our Heart," the UN'srefugee agency said it had documented widespread sexualviolence against Syrian males, including those seeking refuge.
"There have been documented reports of how Syrian womenand girls have suffered sexual violence and displacement.
However, this particular issue is a lesser known element ofthis grim story -- the male survivors, the boy survivors,"said UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic.
"The results are clear. There is a vicious cycle here,"he told AFP.
Based on input from 196 refugees and interviews with 73humanitarian personnel, the report says sexual abuse has beena "disturbing" feature of Syria's nearly seven-year conflict.
Men and boys have suffered sexual violence in detentioncentres and checkpoints manned by armed factions -- but alsoin countries hosting them as refugees.
"One of my uncles in Syria was arrested. A few monthsafter he was released from detention, he told us -- he brokedown, crying in front of us -- that there was not one spot onhis body that had not been abused by an electric drill," saidAhmed, a Syrian refugee in Jordan.
"After he was released he stopped eating and becamealcoholic. He died from kidney failure."Gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex Syrians wereespecially vulnerable.
"There's no one (in the LGBTI refugee community) thatdidn't go through sexual violence. It's something that happensto everyone, to all of us," said Mazen, a young transgenderman cited in the report.
Forms of sexual violence included electric shocks,cigarette burns to the genitals and anus, castration, and gangrape.
And in countries of asylum, Syrian men and boys reportedbeing blackmailed into sexual relationships or exploited byemployers. (AFP)NSA.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.