More than eight million school-aged children across Sudan are currently out of class, as more than 1 000 days of relentless conflict continue to shred the country’s basic infrastructure.

Speaking at an informal United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting on safeguarding education, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned that the systematic collapse of Sudan’s schooling system has become a direct assault on the nation’s youth, threatening to leave an entire generation behind.

The situation is most critical in heavy conflict zones like Darfur, where around three-quarters of all schools have been damaged, destroyed, or rendered unusable since fighting broke out between military factions in April 2023. In these areas, five out of every six children are unable to attend school, leaving parents with little choice but to keep their children indoors to shield them from ongoing violence.

Since 2024, the UN has verified over 67 direct attacks on educational facilities and at least 154 instances where schools were occupied or used for military purposes, though actual figures are expected to be significantly higher given access restrictions in active combat zones.

Beyond classroom instruction, the loss of school infrastructure has cut off vital lifelines for millions of young people. Schools in Sudan often serve as essential access points for daily meals, basic healthcare, and psychological support.

The crisis has also hit the country’s teaching workforce hard, with over half of all educators going unpaid for months. Despite receiving no income, many teachers continue to run informal, makeshift lessons in their communities to keep children learning.

While international aid agencies have managed to reach roughly one million children with basic education support this year, UN officials highlighted that current humanitarian efforts are nowhere near enough to match the scale of the disaster, calling on global leaders to push for an immediate end to the fighting.

–ChannelAfrica/UN–