United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called for a redoubled commitment by the international community and all parties in the Sudanese conflict to address the plight of millions of children and families who are living through a relentless nightmare day after day.
“Sudan is now the largest child displacement crisis in the world, with a recorded 3 million children fleeing widespread violence in search of safety, food, shelter and health care, most within Sudan,” UNICEF said in a statement marking 200 days since the ongoing war in Sudan broke out on 15 April.
The statement noted that children continue to bear the heaviest brunt of the violence, while about 14 million children in Sudan are in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance.
“Reports of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, have been rampant. So far, UNICEF has received allegations of over 3,100 severe violations, including the killing and maiming of children.” The statement added.
The education crisis in Sudan is aggravated by war, with 19 million children unable to return to classrooms, making it one of the worst education crises in the world, according to the UN.
“We cannot allow the death and suffering of millions of children in Sudan to become another forgotten humanitarian catastrophe. These children need our support now. And most of all, they need peace.” The statement emphasized.
UNICEF said that its humanitarian appeal for this year is only 24 per cent funded.
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been engaged in a war that has resulted in more than 9,000 deaths, with nearly 6 million internally and externally displaced people, according to the latest United Nations statistics.