The Sudan education crisis has reached alarming proportions, with more
than eight million school-age children now out of education due to the
country’s ongoing civil war, according to a new report released Thursday by
Save the Children. The figure represents nearly half of all school-age children
in Sudan and marks one of the worst education emergencies currently facing the
world.
The report states that Sudanese children have collectively missed around
500 days of schooling since the conflict erupted in April 2023, a disruption
that exceeds the educational losses experienced by children globally during the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Sudan education crisis, the organization warned, risks
becoming irreversible without immediate international intervention.
During a video call from Stockholm, Inger Ashing, the head of Save the
Children International, said, "Right now, the international community is
failing the children of Sudan." She stressed that long school closures are
taking away not only the chance to learn, but also safety, stability, and hope
for children.
According to the report, thousands of schools across Sudan have been
forced to close due to fighting, while many others have been damaged or
destroyed. In some areas, school buildings have been converted into shelters
for displaced families fleeing violence, further compounding the Sudan
education crisis.
Only about 3% of schools remain operational in North Darfur, where
active conflict continues. Regions including West Darfur, South Darfur, and
West Kordofan are also severely affected, the report noted.
The education system is falling apart, and there aren't enough teachers
to make it work. A lot of teachers have quit their jobs after not getting paid
for months, which means that schools that are technically open can't run. Save
the Children said that the education system could completely break down if it
doesn't get emergency money to pay and train teachers, fix classrooms, and get
basic learning materials.
The Sudan education crisis is happening at the same time as violence is
getting worse. Residents have said that drone strikes have gotten worse in and
around al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, in the past few days. At
least two of these strikes have killed a lot of civilians.
Humanitarian groups have also sounded the alarm about conditions in
al-Fashir, which the Rapid Support Forces took over in October after an
18-month siege. Since the city was taken, more than 100,000 people are thought
to have left. Al-Fashir and Kadugli are both now facing famine.
Displacement on this scale has pushed education even further down the
list of survival priorities for families struggling to access food, water, and
healthcare, deepening the Sudan education crisis.
Ashing said that education is important for more than just school. She
visited schools in Port Sudan, River Nile State, and Khartoum earlier this
month. She said that classrooms can be safe places for kids to be, away from
exploitation, child labor, and being recruited into armed groups.
"Education is a lifeline," she said, adding that a long break
from school raises the risk of losing a generation.
As part of the
humanitarian response to Sudan's war, Save the Children asked international
donors and governments to greatly increase their funding for emergency
education programs. The group said that if action isn't taken right away, the
education crisis in Sudan could have long-term effects on the country's
stability and recovery, as well as on the futures of the children involved.
Aid groups say that
restoring access to education must be a top priority, not a secondary concern,
if Sudan's children are to be protected from the terrible effects of war. The
conflict is still going on with no political solution in sight.
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