Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The United Nations global education fund has launched a $22 million initiative to help approximately 200,000 children in Sudan return to education amid ongoing civil war. The program targets three states most affected by conflict: West Darfur, South Kordofan, and Gedaref, aiming to restore safe, quality, and inclusive education for children in these regions.
Education Cannot Wait, the fund’s lead agency, emphasized that education is crucial for protecting children and supporting recovery. The initiative intends not only to reopen classrooms but also to help children regain a sense of safety and normalcy, while strengthening education systems resilient to crises.
Since the conflict began in April 2023, Sudan has faced severe humanitarian challenges: 14 million people displaced and 33.7 million in need of aid. Of Sudan's 17 million school-age children, at least eight million are currently out of school. Many schools are not operational, with some children missing nearly 500 days of education.
This three-year program will prioritize the children most affected by the crisis, including internally displaced children, refugees, and vulnerable host communities. At least 60 percent of beneficiaries will be girls and 10 percent children with disabilities. Key components include establishing safe learning environments, providing mental health and psychosocial support, strengthening teacher capacity, improving access to learning materials, and addressing barriers for girls and children with disabilities.
Implementation will be led by Save the Children, in collaboration with Plan International, Lakarmissionen International, and local partners including Alsalam Organisation for Relief and Development and Sadagaat. According to a UNICEF mid-year update, in Darfur 81 percent of schools remain closed, 70 percent of children are not attending school, and 5.8 percent of schools are being used as shelters. Schools have also come under direct attack during the year.