Emergency response in Sudan
Conflict in Sudan is pushing already vulnerable children deeper into hardship.
What’s happening in Sudan?
Sudan is facing a humanitarian catastrophe. Heavy fighting broke out in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023, and quickly extended throughout the country. A year later, the conflict continues to threaten the health and well-being of Sudan’s 24 million children, pushing already vulnerable families deeper into hardship.
Even before the current conflict, humanitarian needs across Sudan had reached record levels. Now, millions of children have been forced to flee their homes, making Sudan the biggest child displacement crisis in the world. Civilian infrastructure across Sudan has been decimated, leaving children and communities without essential services like clean water and basic health care. Meanwhile, the loss of family income and the socioeconomic fallout from the war are proving devastating to the well-being of children, depriving them of vital resources and opportunities for their futures.
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How is the crisis affecting children in Sudan?
The brutal war is creating the perfect storm for famine and a catastrophic loss of children’s lives. Almost 4 million children under five are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition, including 730,000 projected to suffer severe acute malnutrition – the most lethal form of undernutrition, and one of the top threats to child survival. With vaccination coverage dropping due to the fighting and subsequent access issues, ongoing disease outbreaks such as cholera, measles, malaria and dengue, and millions of children lacking access to safe drinking water, hundreds of thousands are at significant risk of dying.
The impact of the conflict on education, meanwhile, has been devastating. Schools have been closed in most states since the start of the war. Around 17 million children are not in school, with buildings that were once centres of learning now shelters for internally displaced children. The ongoing disruption to education will result in a generational crisis for Sudan.
In areas where Sudanese children have fled to, including neighbouring countries, children are encountering numerous obstacles in accessing essential services, including education and healthcare. These displaced and refugee children are in desperate need of safety, stability, and psychosocial support as they navigate the challenges of starting over in unfamiliar surroundings. The large numbers of displaced families are also placing a significant burden on host communities that have shown considerable generosity, but who were in many cases already grappling with crises of their own.
How is UNICEF supporting children in Sudan?
UNICEF continues to call for an immediate ceasefire across Sudan, and reiterates its call for all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian and human rights law – including ensuring that children are protected. UNICEF also calls for safe, sustained and unimpeded access into and throughout Sudan. Without such access, critical lifesaving humanitarian support will be out of reach for millions of vulnerable children.
Since the beginning of the war, UNICEF has been on the ground providing immediate and life-saving humanitarian aid to the children of Sudan. Despite the difficult humanitarian and security situation and considerable access restraints, UNICEF and its partners have been working tirelessly to deliver assistance to children and their families affected by the war. Since conflict erupted in 2023, UNICEF has reached millions of children and their families with safe drinking water, health supplies and nutrition screenings, while also providing psychosocial support, safe spaces for learning and routine immunizations.
Results for children
In 2023, UNICEF and partners:
