Sexual violence in war haunts London

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LONDON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The British government announced it was contributing more than $750,000 to an ICC trust fund for victims of sexual violence.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the global community should share in a goal of taking "practical action" that would prevent sexual violence in conflict.

"Because so much has been done to raise awareness of the consequences of the use of rape as a weapon of war in recent years, there is a greater hope of achieving that goal today than at any time before," he said.

The British government announced it was contributing about $780,000 to a trust fund for victims of sexual violence at the International Criminal Court.

The U.N. Security Council last month expressed concern about reports of sexual violence during clashes between the rebel March 23 Movement and military forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos expressed concern about the "increasing levels of sexual violence" taking place during the Syrian civil war.

"Stopping rape and sexual violence in war is a new moral and practical cause for our generation," Hague said.