Sudan secures $22 million education boost to support 200,000 children in conflict zones

The three Sudanese states receiving support are West Darfur, South Kordofan and Gedaref. The goal is to restore safe, quality, and inclusive education amid the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis.

Maysa Jalbout, Director of Education Cannot Wait, emphasized that education remains one of the most powerful tools in the humanitarian toolbox for protecting millions of children and supporting recovery.

“This investment is about much more than reopening classrooms. It is about supporting children to regain a sense of safety and normalcy while strengthening education systems that can continue serving communities through crisis and into recovery.”

A humanitarian emergency

Since the conflict began in April 2023 between Sudan’s rival militaries, 14 million people have been displaced and 33.7 million now need humanitarian assistance.

Announcing the multi‑year investment initiative, Education Cannot Wait said that at least eight million children—nearly half of Sudan’s 17 million school‑age children—remain out of school.

Across the country, many schools are still non‑operational, and millions of children have endured prolonged disruptions, with some missing almost 500 days of learning.

The three‑year programme will target the most vulnerable groups, including internally displaced children, refugees, and host‑community children, with a focus on at least 60 % girls and 10 % children with disabilities.

The initiative will create safe learning environments, deliver mental‑health and psychosocial support, build teacher capacity, enhance access to learning materials, and tackle barriers faced by girls and children with disabilities.

Implementation will be led by Save the Children, in partnership with Plan International, Lakarmissionen International (LM International), and local partners Alsalam Organisation for Relief and Development (AORD) and Sadagaat.

In its mid‑year update on Sudan, UNICEF reported that 81 % of schools in Darfur remain closed, 70 % of children are out of school, and 5.8 % of schools are being used as shelters. The agency also noted that several schools have been directly attacked this year.

Worldwide needs

Globally, Education Cannot Wait reports that 258 million school‑aged children and adolescents are affected by disrupted learning, with 93 million completely out of school.

A recent report from the UN’s global education fund found that nearly 80 % of children unable to attend school because of crises or conflict reside in just 20 countries.

The most marginalized groups—girls, displaced youth, and children with disabilities—often suffer the greatest exclusion.

The Sudan announcement coincides with Education Cannot Wait’s launch of the global campaign “Hope Starts Here,” which aims to raise $600 million to reach 10 million children whose learning continues to be disrupted by the world’s most severe crises.

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