The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that children in Sudan are living today at the heart of what it described as the world's largest humanitarian disaster and child displacement crisis, as armed conflict continues to tear the country apart and push millions to the brink of famine and disease.
Background of the conflict and escalation of the crisis
These UN warnings come at a time when Sudan is experiencing a bloody conflict that erupted in mid-April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. This ongoing conflict has turned the streets of Khartoum and many major cities in Darfur and Kordofan into open battlefields, resulting in widespread destruction of vital infrastructure and the displacement of residents from their homes.
The effects of the war were not limited to the military and political spheres; they also cast a dark shadow on the most vulnerable groups, namely children. Reports indicate that Sudan is now facing the world's largest child displacement crisis, with millions of families fleeing in search of safety, shelter, food, and clean drinking water, either within relatively safe Sudanese states or across borders to neighboring countries.
Alarming figures and a tragic reality
According to data from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations, millions of children in Sudan are suffering from acute malnutrition, which directly threatens their lives if they do not receive urgent treatment and food. The collapse of the health system and the fact that more than 70% of hospitals and health facilities are out of service in conflict zones have exacerbated the spread of epidemics and infectious diseases such as cholera, measles, and malaria, amid a near-total absence of basic vaccinations.
The future of an entire generation is at risk
The disaster doesn't stop at hunger and disease; it extends to threaten the educational future of an entire generation of Sudanese. The war has forced the closure of thousands of schools and educational institutions, depriving nearly 19 million children of their right to education and exposing them to the risks of forced labor, recruitment, and exploitation, while increasing the likelihood of their professional and academic futures being lost.
Regional repercussions and calls for intervention
The ongoing crisis in Sudan not only affects the country itself but also places immense pressure on neighboring states such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan, which are hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees with limited resources. UNICEF and the international community are appealing for an immediate ceasefire, safe passage for life-saving humanitarian aid, and the necessary funding to prevent this disaster from becoming an irreversible tragedy. They emphasize that time is running out to save the children of Sudan.
