Sudan faces the largest humanitarian and children’s displacement crisis in the world
The number of children who need humanitarian assistance in Sudan doubled from 7.8 million in early 2023 to more than 15 million, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced.
“Two years of violence and displacement have destroyed the lives of millions of children throughout Sudan,” said UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell, adding that “needs continue to overcome humanitarian financing.”
Sudan faces the largest humanitarian and commuting crisis of children in the world, and has already shifted 15 million people, inside Sudan and through borders, of which more than half are children in which “almost one in three are less than 5 years,” according to the United Nations Agency (UN) statement.
“Violence against children, hunger and diseases are increasing [com a diminuição da taxa de vacinação]”Unicef says, adding that” travel continues to disturb lives, humanitarian agents access to families and financing are decreasing, and the rainy season from May to October is approaching. “
The situation is getting worse by a combination of interconnected factors, such as the number of serious violations against children, which include murders, mutilations, kidnapping and attacks on schools and hospitals, which has increased by 1,000% in two years.
In a statement, UNICEF stated that “although such violations were previously limited to regions such as Darfur, Nile Blue and Cordofão do Sul, the ongoing conflict across the country led to the verification of serious violations in more than 18 states of Sudan”, and Darfur, Sudan capital, Gezira and Cordofão do Sul reported the largest number of serious violations in the last two years.
Between 2022 and 2024, about 60% of annual hospitalizations for severe acute malnutrition occurred during the rainy season and if this trend remains between May and October this year, up to 462,000 children may suffer from malnutrition.
There is also an increase in disease outbreaks due to the effects of rainfall, which in 2024 were recorded 49,000 cases of cholera and more than 11,000 dengue, having affected 60% of Sudan’s mothers and children.
Humanitarian agents access to children are deteriorating due to the escalation of the conflict and the restrictions imposed by government authorities or armed groups. Funding has been decreased, being one of the causes the cuts of international humanitarian aids.
In 2024, UNICEF and its partners provided psychosocial counseling, education and protection services to 2.7 million children and caregivers in Sudan, reached more than 9.8 million children and families with secure drinking water, examined 6.7 million children to malnutrition and provided vital treatment to 422,000 of them.
“Sudan faces the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today, but it is not receiving the attention of the world,” said Russell, underlined that one cannot “abandon the children of Sudan” and that, “above all, children in Sudan need this terrible conflict to end.”
The UN agency continues to prioritize interventions that save lives in conflict zones and also support displaced populations and host communities in safer areas, providing essential services and support.
The Sudan conflict between the Fast Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) began on April 15, 2023, completing two years of war today.
