UN warns Sudan war is robbing millions of children of education

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed on Friday called for an immediate end to Sudan’s devastating war, warning that the conflict is depriving millions of children of education while fueling the world’s “largest displacement crisis,” Anadolu reports.

Speaking at a UN Security Council Arria-formula meeting focused on safeguarding education in Sudan, Mohammed said the war has continued for 1,210 days and has left 33 million people — more than half of Sudan’s population — dependent on humanitarian assistance.

“Among everything this war is taking, one of the most significant is the future of Sudan depriving the education of its children.

“Today, at least 8 million school-aged children remain out of school, with a disproportionate impact on millions of displaced children, especially those seeking refuge outside of Sudan,” she said.

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Mohammed added the situation is especially severe in Darfur, where nearly three-quarters of schools have been damaged, destroyed or rendered non-functional since the conflict began. She said five out of every six children in the region are out of school.

“Parents will tell you they would rather keep their children at home than send them to a classroom, because home for them is the only place left where they can keep them safe,” she said.

Separately, Mohammed said famine has taken hold, with 4 million women and children expected to face acute malnutrition this year, while nearly 9 million people have been displaced inside Sudan and millions more have fled across the country’s borders.

“This war has to end, and it has to end now,” the deputy secretary-general said, calling for those responsible for atrocities to be held accountable and for the rule of law to prevail.

Sudan has been engulfed in a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023 over disagreements concerning the integration of the RSF into the military.

The conflict has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing millions of others.

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