Sudan is one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies and one of the gravest crises for children’s rights. Every day the fighting continues, another generation of children remains shut out of school.
Yet amidst all this, there are stories of children who refuse to let go of hope.
Vishna Shah, Director for Child Rights Advocacy and Campaign at Save the Children International, met some of these children during her recent visit to Sudan.
Sudan fills the headlines day after day — and with good reason.
Not only because of the shifting front lines of a complex and brutal conflict, but because Sudan is now the scene of one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies and one of the gravest crises for children’s rights.
Yet amidst all this, there are stories of children who refuse to let go of hope. I met some of these children during my recent visit, and their courage and determination deserve to be the headlines.
Every day the fighting continues, another generation of children remains shut out of school.
We stand side by side with children in the world's toughest placeS.
Education is the most powerful tool a child has to keep themselves safe and shape their future, to build a life free from poverty and instability.
Yet today, of Sudan’s 17 million school-aged children, an alarming 8 million school-aged children are not yet back to school and at risk of dropping out of school completely.
This is a generation being denied the basic right to learn and to thrive, while the country remains trapped in a devastating cycle of war. Schools have been destroyed or occupied, and even where classrooms remain standing, they are simply not safe. Teachers—who are the backbone of any education system—are fleeing, and reports continue of teachers being killed or abducted.
In areas away from the fighting, many have not been paid for months as national resources are redirected into the conflict, and those salaries that do reach them are eroded by soaring inflation.
And yet, even in a crisis of this magnitude, there are places where hope is taking root.
Vishna Shah (Director of Child Rights Advocacy visits and engaging with children at a Save the Children-supported girls’ school in Red Sea State. Hamid Abdulsalam/Save teh Children
Last week, in the Port Sudan area, I visited a girls’ school supported through an EU-funded, Save the Children-managed programme.
There, in a quiet courtyard, I saw something that feels increasingly rare in Sudan: girls laughing, learning, and playing safely.
The headmistress proudly told me that enrolment had doubled in just one year—from 376 students to 628—as parents recognised the value of a school that offered their daughters safety and quality learning. Every girl had her own learning materials. Classrooms had shared textbooks, a communal library, clean water, school uniforms, and even solar lighting—ensuring learning could continue despite power cuts.
What made this school exceptional was the way it addressed the whole child. Children received nutritious school breakfasts; girls received hygiene kits; teachers were trained and supported; and older girls had a clear pathway into intermediate school. The school leadership and the parent-teacher association actively listened to the girls’ voices—right down to involving them in setting weekly meal plans based on budgets and locally available foods.
Many of the girls I met were confident and optimistic.
One young girl *Amal told me she dreams of becoming a headteacher like the woman she admires every day. But she also shared her worries for children on the other side of Sudan, who are fleeing violence instead of carrying schoolbooks.
A nearby safe space revealed the deeper emotional scars of this war and wider instability. The centre—serving both local and host communities of displaced families—reported that more and more children have been struggling with their mental health, with a reference to one child who arrived withdrawn and anxious and struggling to connect with others.
With support from trained caseworkers, the chance to play, and time spent simply being children again, many are slowly rebuilding their sense of safety.
I met 11-year-old *Mona, who spoke movingly about the impact this space has had on her life.
I’ve learned to respect my friends and keep my promises.
She said. She told us she teaches her younger brother how to stay safe and reflects on what she learns when she goes home. When asked about her own dreams, she smiled and pointed at our Save the Children field manager:
I want to be a manager.
Sudan is facing a catastrophic crisis—one that demands urgent global attention.
The 2025 Education Humanitarian Response Plan is funded at 20%, and the Education ask was slashed by 90% as part of the hyper-prioritisation process earlier in the year. While 40% of schools across the country are still closed, teachers’ salary is partially paid, and in some states within Darfur, they have not been paid since the conflict started in April 2023.
Schools must be protected. Teachers must be paid and safeguarded. International humanitarian law must be upheld, and children must never be targets in conflict.
Education is a top priority for children and families, and it saves lives—providing safe spaces, stability, and essential cognitive and protective skills. Yet Sudan’s Education Cluster response is only 20% funded and urgently needs more funding.
As the war rages, we cannot allow an entire generation to be lost. In places where it is safe, we must do everything possible to bring children back to learning, rebuild systems that protect them, and support the bright, determined girls and boys who still dare to dream. We must do everything possible to meet children where they are and bring them back to learning,
Because even in Sudan’s darkest moments, children have not given up hope.
And neither can we.
