As the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces enters its second year, reports of atrocities against civilians, including children, have sparked global concern.
UNICEF has highlighted the dire situation, indicating that 24 million Sudanese children are at risk of enduring a generational catastrophe. Among them, 14 million urgently require humanitarian aid, with 19 million out of school and 4 million displaced, marking Sudan as home to the largest child displacement crisis globally.
The crisis has resulted in widespread malnutrition and limited access to healthcare, with up to 80% of hospitals shuttered due to severe shortages of medical supplies. Tragically, children are increasingly becoming targets of sexual violence, further increasing their suffering. The rampant recruitment of children into armed groups, especially in regions like Darfur and the east, heightens their vulnerability.
Education has also been severely disrupted, with many schools destroyed or repurposed as emergency shelters. Approximately 170 campuses now serve as shelters for internally displaced people, depriving countless children of their right to education for the foreseeable future.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on Sudan to fulfill its obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly regarding the involvement of children in armed conflict. Sudan is urged to cease the recruitment of children and safeguard them from the impact of military operations.
As the conflict’s anniversary approaches, the CRC emphasizes the urgent need for Sudan to halt these grave violations against its children and cease the recruitment of minors into armed forces immediately.
Written by Beneditta Muema
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