UNICEF on Friday warned that sex attacks are on the increase in Kenya, where hundreds of people have died in violence that broke out after a disputed presidential election on Dec. 27. Cases of sexual violence, especially gang rapes of young girls and boys, have doubled since the conflict started, said the Mombasa-based Gender Violence Recovery Center. "There is a very high risk of [HIV] spreading," said Veronique Taveau of the UN agency. She added that UNICEF deplores the "tragedy of girls and women in the informal camps who trade sex for biscuits, protection, transportation, or are raped while trying to get to a latrine during the night." A quarter-million Kenyans have fled their homes since the clashes began.

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