Sudan’s war threatens an ‘entire generation’s’ future, UN warns | Child Rights News
More Than 8 Million Children Out of School Amid Ongoing Conflict in Sudan, UN Reports
Published August 8, 2026
More than 8 million school-aged children in Sudan are currently out of school due to the ongoing civil war, which began over three years ago, according to the United Nations. The conflict has severely affected the educational landscape, with nearly three-quarters of schools impacted.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlighted these concerns during an informal session of the UN Security Council on safeguarding education in Sudan, marking the 1,210th day of the conflict.
“Among everything this war is taking, the future of Sudan—its children’s education—is one of the most significant losses,” Mohammed stated. She warned that the conflict threatens to deprive an entire generation of its potential.
The UN has reported that fighting in Darfur has destroyed or damaged a substantial number of schools since April 2023. According to Mohammed, “Five children in every six are out of school,” and many parents opt to keep their children at home in the hope of ensuring their safety.
Since 2024, the UN documented over 67 attacks on schools and more than 154 instances of schools being used for military purposes. Mohammed noted that these figures likely underestimate the true impact of the conflict.
More than half of Sudan’s teachers have gone unpaid, yet many continue to work under challenging conditions. “Sudan has already lost a generation to its earlier wars, and it is losing another one now,” she said, emphasizing that the burden disproportionately falls on women and children.
In an effort to address the crisis, the UN and its partners have managed to reintegrate over 1 million Sudanese children into some form of learning this year. However, this number remains insufficient compared to the scale of need.
UNICEF has raised alarms regarding the broader impact of the conflict, stating that approximately 15 million people have been displaced and nearly 33 million individuals—including more than half who are children—require urgent humanitarian assistance.
Earlier this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described the situation in Sudan as a “human rights catastrophe” marked by accounts of mass killings and widespread sexual violence.
