The war in Sudan deprives more than three-quarters of children of education.

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Sea_Following: The war in Sudan has deprived more than three-quarters of school-aged children from attending schools, according to a report by Save the Children on Thursday, as fighting continues across the country for more than two years. The war between the Port Sudan forces and the Rapid Support Forces erupted in April 2023 and quickly divided the country into areas of influence, so far resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands, the displacement of more than 13 million, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. In its report, Save the Children said that 13 million out of 17 million school-aged children are unable to attend schools "in one of the worst education crises in the world." According to the report, more than half of the schools in Sudan remain closed due to the war, while one in ten schools has been converted into shelters for the displaced. Sudan is witnessing one of the worst hunger and displacement crises in the world, with some displacement camps, especially in the west of the country, suffering from severe overcrowding, famine, and the spread of cholera infection with the absence of health care and basic services. The director of Save the Children in Sudan, Mohamed Abdel Latif, said that "it is easy to ignore education as a priority in times of crisis, but as the conflict prolongs, children lose the most important years of education that they will never be able to recover... That means that some of these children will never learn to read and write." He warned that if the war continues, "millions of children will not be able to return to schools, exposing them to risks in the short and long term, including displacement, joining armed groups, and sexual violence." Despite the return of more than two million displaced people to their cities since the beginning of the year, according to the United Nations, the infrastructure is still suffering from destruction with the continued closure of schools and hospitals and frequent power outages. According to the Save the Children report, about four million children have recently returned to education, while the vast majority of children remain uneducated due to mass displacement, lack of teachers and educational materials, and restrictions on movement due to violence.