WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN SUDAN?

The conflict that erupted in Sudan's capital Khartoum, in April 2023 has persisted for two years, resulting in an unprecedented humanitarian devastation. Sudan's most valuable and vulnerable resource - its children - are under siege. 

Sudan was already facing its worst ever humanitarian crisis even before the eruption of conflict in April 2023. Existing localised conflict, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, hunger and economic degradation already threatened millions of children’s lives and futures. 30.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 15.6 million children.

Since the conflict began in April 2023:

• An average of 1 child every 10 seconds has been forced to flee their home.
• 6.5 million children are now displaced — nearly half under the age of five.
• 17 million children are out of school.
• 11.6 million children are facing crisis levels of hunger.
• Over 3,150 grave child rights violations have been reported in the last year — including rape, abduction, and forced recruitment.

Despite the staggering levels of need, this crisis is not getting the attention it deserves. Children are witnessing or experiencing unimaginable violence - things no child should ever face. There is an unprecedented lack of funding and critical lack of humanitarian access.

Children in Sudan need protection, education, and lifesaving support — and they need it now.

You can support our life-saving work in Sudan and other countries across the world.

Today more than 15.6 million children in Sudan need support to overcome the horrifying impacts of this conflict. 

They’ve seen their homes, hospitals, playgrounds and schools bombed, looted and occupied. They’ve lost loved ones and been subject to unspeakable violence. They’ve been cut off from the very basics like food, shelter, and healthcare.

They are surviving bombs and bullets to risk dying from starvation and disease.

The horrors of conflicts like this can have a severe and long-lasting impact on children’s mental health unless they receive the urgent support they need.

This conflict is also denying millions of children their education. Over 17 million school-aged children remain deprived of education, 10 million of whom were in schools prior to April 2023. Despite progress in school reopening, still 80% of the country’s schools remain closed, 3,200 of which are used as shelter by internally displaced people.

Save the Children and its partners remain dedicated to providing life-saving assistance to families who continue to be impacted by this crisis.

We’re bringing together the best of our experience in humanitarian emergencies and long-term programmes and working with partners to ensure that urgently needed support reaches children and families in Sudan and neighbouring countries.

In 2024, we reached a total of 3,166,311 million people, including 1,719,311 million children, with integrated health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, child protection, food and livelihoods and education programmes within our emergency response. 

• We’re running mobile health clinics in the camps for displaced people and providing nutrition supplements for malnourished children.

• We’re responding to a major outbreak of cholera and have established 3 treatment centres to provide critical support to children and their families.

• Between February and March 2025, we arranged six cargo flights of 200 metric tonnes of life saving medical supplies. A further 60 metric tonnes of nutrition supplies were brought in via the seaport.

• We’re providing cash grants to families to help them buy food, medicines and other essentials to address the worsening food insecurity situation.

• We’re currently supporting 400 schools across the country. So far, we have supported over 45,000 children through formal education and about 37,000 children through non-formal education.

• We also offer games and activities for children in safe spaces, such as dancing, drawing and sports to overcome their negative experiences. These safe spaces and play activities also relieve pressure off parents and help them to manage their stress.

Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and provides programming for children and families affected by conflict, displacement, extreme poverty and hunger.

Children and their families are in desperate need. 

Donate to help us respond quickly to support children living in crisis in countries like Sudan and around the world. 

Children are bearing the greatest brunt of this conflict. It is crucial for all parties involved to prioritise the protection of children and to take all necessary measures to safeguard their lives, rights and futures. This includes guaranteeing safe and uninterrupted humanitarian access. 

But to truly protect children’s lives and futures, it is critical that we see an end to this fighting.