Nearly 9,000 Sudanese children have reportedly reached North African countries without their parents or after becoming separated from their families over the past three years.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported the figure, according to accounts of its protection work. The number highlights the growing dangers facing children displaced by Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
Many face trafficking, exploitation, violence and uncertainty about their future.
Sudanese children face serious risks
Rawaa Ahmed, a protection programme officer at IOM’s Middle East and North Africa regional office, raised concerns about children travelling without family support.
Speaking to UN News, Ahmed warned that unaccompanied and separated children face several dangers during their journeys.
These include human trafficking, forced labour, extortion, sexual exploitation and forced marriage.
Some children also risk detention or forced return from countries where they seek safety.
Ahmed called for stronger protection measures and alternatives to immigration detention that consider children’s individual needs.
Thousands of Sudanese children vulnerable in Libya
Libya has become a major concern for organisations protecting displaced Sudanese children.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime estimated that approximately 10,000 Sudanese children were unaccompanied or separated from their families in Libya by the end of 2025.
Its March 2026 research highlighted risks linked to irregular migration routes and criminal exploitation.
Children travelling through these routes may face kidnapping, forced begging, exploitative work, abuse and detention.
However, reliable statistics remain limited. The organisation based its estimate on information from Sudanese communities, humanitarian workers and local activists.
The Libya estimate is separate from IOM’s reported regional arrival figure. The two numbers cover different populations and periods and should not be added together.
Funding shortages threaten child protection
Humanitarian organisations are also struggling with limited funding.
According to IOM, financial constraints are affecting services for vulnerable migrant and displaced children.
These programmes provide emergency assistance, safe accommodation and support for children separated from their relatives.
They also help trace missing family members.
A joint IOM and UNICEF report described the experience of a 15-year-old Sudanese girl who reached Cairo alone in 2024.
She reportedly spent more than two weeks crossing the desert before arriving in Egypt.
After reaching Cairo, she faced pressure to work and later lost her accommodation when relatives moved away.
IOM eventually helped reunite her with her mother.
Her experience illustrates why family reunification and child protection services remain essential.
Sudan war continues to separate families
Sudan’s war began in April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The conflict has displaced millions of people within Sudan and across its borders.
Families fleeing violence often face dangerous journeys, limited resources and uncertain living conditions.
For children travelling without parents or guardians, these challenges can become even more severe.
Humanitarian organisations continue to call for stronger safeguards, safer migration procedures and greater international support.
Protecting displaced Sudanese children and helping separated families reunite remain urgent priorities as the humanitarian crisis continues.