Image Source: World Vision
Sudan – Fifteen million children in Sudan urgently need humanitarian assistance – nearly double the 7.8 million recorded at the start of 2023. As the war between rival military factions drags into its third year, the country faces what UNICEF has called “the world’s largest humanitarian and child displacement crisis.”
“Two years of violence and displacement have shattered the lives of millions of children across Sudan. Needs continue to outpace humanitarian funding,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
UNICEF reported that a deadly combination of war, hunger, disease, and climate-driven disaster is fueling Sudan’s crisis. Close to 15 million people have been displaced inside Sudan and across borders, more than half of whom are children. One in three displaced children is under five.
In many areas, even where return is possible, children face dangers from unexploded ordnance and lack access to basic services. Famine has already taken hold in at least five locations, with five more on the brink and 17 others at risk.
“With the rainy season around the corner, children who are already reeling from malnutrition and disease will be harder to reach,” warned Russell.
Between May and October – the height of Sudan’s rainy season – flooding typically drives a spike in malnutrition and disease. UNICEF warns that up to 462,000 children could suffer from severe acute malnutrition during this period.
Disease outbreaks are also expected to surge, with cholera and dengue already infecting tens of thousands, mostly women and children.
Grave violations against children – including killings, abductions, and attacks on schools – have increased by over 1,000% since the war began, spreading far beyond previous conflict zones into more than half of Sudan’s states.
Humanitarian access has also deteriorated due to escalating violence and bureaucratic restrictions. Over 60% of UNICEF’s deliveries were delayed in 2024.
UNICEF is appealing for $1 billion in funding for 2025—a figure that translates to just $76 per person for the entire year, or only $0.26 per day, to provide life-saving support to those in need.
“We cannot abandon the children of Sudan,” said Russell. “We have the expertise and the resolve to scale up our support, but we need access and sustained funding. Most of all, children in Sudan need this horrific conflict to end.”
