A Looming Catastrophe: Conflict, Famine, and Disease Threaten Over 15 Million Children in Sudan

Nearly half of Sudan’s population—over 30 million people—now requires humanitarian assistance.

As Sudan enters the third year of brutal conflict, the country is on the brink of a devastating humanitarian collapse. The number of children in need of urgent humanitarian assistance has more than doubled within just over a year—from 7.8 million at the beginning of 2023 to over 15 million today. Unless immediate and substantial global action is taken, the crisis threatens to spiral further into a catastrophe of historic proportions.

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has become one of the world’s most complex and neglected humanitarian emergencies. It has driven massive displacement, destroyed critical infrastructure, and decimated access to food, water, education, and healthcare. Nearly half of Sudan’s population—over 30 million people—now requires humanitarian assistance. Of them, approximately 50% are children.

“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. “With the rainy season around the corner, children who are already reeling from malnutrition and disease will be harder to reach. I urge the international community to seize this pivotal window for action and step up for Sudan’s children.”

A Crisis of Displacement and Vulnerability

Sudan is now home to the world’s largest crisis of child displacement. The conflict has forcibly displaced nearly 15 million people both internally and across borders, and children make up more than half of those affected. Alarming statistics reveal that almost one in three displaced children are under the age of five.

Even in areas where families are attempting to return, they are confronted by dangerous threats, including unexploded ordnance and a near-total collapse of basic services like healthcare and education. The danger for children grows with every passing day.

Schools Shuttered, Futures Stolen

Sudan’s education system has been crippled. Approximately 90% of school-age children—nearly 19 million—are out of school. Schools have been destroyed, turned into shelters for displaced people, or have been attacked in the fighting. With learning halted and psychosocial trauma widespread, a generation of Sudanese children is at risk of being permanently left behind.

Grave Violations Against Children Skyrocket

Over the past two years, the verified number of grave violations against children—including killings, maimings, abductions, and attacks on schools and hospitals—has increased by an astonishing 1,000%. Once confined to conflict regions like Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan, these violations are now recorded in over half of Sudan’s 18 states.

The regions hardest hit include the Darfur states, Khartoum, Al Jazirah, and South Kordofan. Children and humanitarian workers in these areas are at especially high risk, with limited access to protection and basic services.

Hunger Tightens Its Grip

Famine conditions are already present in at least five regions of Sudan, with five more teetering on the edge and an additional 17 at serious risk. With the rainy season—typically from May to October—fast approaching, the situation could worsen dramatically.

Historically, about 60% of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) cases are reported during this period due to increased flooding, restricted access, and disease outbreaks. If current patterns hold, up to 462,000 children could suffer from SAM in the coming months.

Disease Outbreaks on the Rise

The rainy season also brings a surge in disease outbreaks. So far in 2024 alone, Sudan has recorded at least 49,000 cases of cholera and over 11,000 cases of dengue fever—60% of which affect mothers and children. Overcrowding, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and large-scale displacement amplify the spread of these deadly illnesses.

Humanitarian Access and Aid Blocked

Delivering aid to vulnerable children is becoming increasingly difficult. Armed conflict and bureaucratic obstacles have severely limited humanitarian access across Sudan. In 2024, over 60% of UNICEF’s aid deliveries faced significant delays due to insecurity and restrictions from various authorities. Although none were entirely aborted, delays have hindered life-saving interventions.

Funding Gap Threatens to Derail Relief Efforts

UNICEF has issued an urgent appeal for US$1 billion to fund its life-saving operations in Sudan through 2025. This modest request amounts to just US$76 per person for the year—barely US$0.26 per day. However, only US$266.6 million is currently available, and just US$12 million of that was raised in 2025. Without additional funding, essential programs for nutrition, health, education, and protection are at risk of being halted.

Hope Amid Crisis: What Has Been Achieved

Despite these enormous challenges, UNICEF and its partners have made significant inroads in delivering aid:

• Psychosocial support and education services have reached 2.7 million children and caregivers.

• Over 9.8 million people gained access to clean drinking water.

• 6.7 million children were screened for malnutrition, with 422,000 receiving lifesaving treatment.

• Continued work in conflict zones and safer regions aims to provide stability, education, and healthcare to displaced and host communities alike.

A Call for Global Solidarity

“Sudan is the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world today, but it is not getting the world’s attention,” said Russell. “We cannot abandon the children of Sudan. 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.”

As Sudan braces for another season of heavy rains, flooding, and disease, the fate of millions of children hangs in the balance. Global attention and international support are urgently needed to prevent a full-scale catastrophe.

The world must not look away. The children of Sudan cannot wait.