“Sudan is losing another generation” to war
Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism - The UN Deputy Secretary-General said on Friday, August 16, 2026, that more than 1,000 days of war in Sudan have left millions of children out of school, displaced or exposed to gross human rights violations, and called for renewed action to end the conflict.
Amina Mohammed spoke to members of the Security Council during an informal meeting on protecting education in Sudan, organized under a framework called the Arya Formula.
“Among all the things this war is destroying, one of the most important is the future of Sudan, whose children are deprived of education,” she said.
She said at least eight million school-age children are still out of the classroom, and “this has a disproportionate impact on millions of displaced children,” especially those who have fled to other countries.
In war-torn Darfur alone, almost three-quarters of schools have been damaged, destroyed, or otherwise rendered inoperable since the fighting began in April 2023.
“Five out of six children are not going to school, and parents will tell you that they would rather keep their children at home than send them to a classroom because home is the only place where they can feel safe,” she said.
She noted that since 2024, the UN has confirmed more than 67 attacks on schools across Sudan, while more than 154 cases of military use of schools have been reported, although the true scale is undoubtedly higher.
The war in Sudan began with the support of the UAE’s rapid reaction forces and continues to keep the country embroiled in civil war.
