Geneva, Switzerland, August 24 (ANI): Sudan’s civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023 has triggered the forced internal displacement of millions of people and widespread hunger.
The war in Sudan has entered its fourth year and is severely affecting crucial aspects of civilian life, including the education of nearly 200,000 children and teenagers in regions across West Darfur, South Kordofan and Gedaref.
Thousands of families fled to displacement camps in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state in south-central Sudan, after the RSF attacked villages across southern and western parts of the region, Al Jazeera reported on Aug. 21.
Taking note of the humanitarian and displacement crisis, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a United Nations initiative administered under the rules of the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has committed a fresh $22 million, multi-year investment to help “restore safe, quality and inclusive education” for affected children, according to a press release.
The announcement came after ECW Director Maysa Jalbout met crisis-affected civilians, including children and teachers, who have been affected by more than three years of armed conflict and displacement.
Since 2023, at least 14 million people have been internally displaced in Sudan, while nearly 33.7 million people require humanitarian assistance as a result of the ongoing war between the SAF and RSF.
The RSF emerged in 2013 from the Janjaweed, a militia group that was supported by the Sudanese government during the War in Darfur, which began in 2003.
The civil war has forced at least 8 million children, nearly half of Sudan’s 17 million school-age children, out of school as schools across the country remain nonoperational amid the sustained conflict.
According to ECW, some crisis-affected children in Sudan have missed nearly 500 days of schooling because of the ongoing conflict.
The ECW investment will not only support the restoration of education and learning environments but also help children regain a sense of “safety and normalcy” amid the disruption and trauma caused by the war.
“Education in Sudan has been interrupted by conflict, displacement and unimaginable hardship. Yet it remains one of the most powerful tools we have to protect millions of children, restore hope and support recovery,” Jalbout said in a press release.
“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. Sudan’s children cannot wait,” she added.
ECW’s program aims to support those most affected by Sudan’s civil war, including displaced children, refugees and vulnerable host communities. At least 60% of the beneficiaries will be girls, while 10% will be children with disabilities.
The program will provide mental health and psychosocial support while establishing safe formal and nonformal learning environments.
An additional $5 million will be kept flexible so the program can respond quickly if new conflicts, disasters or climate-related emergencies occur, ECW said. The program will be led by Save the Children, an internationally renowned nongovernmental organization, in collaboration with local partners and other organizations.
Save the Children Deputy Country Director Francesco Lanino said ECW’s multi-year investment would provide children in Sudan with access to learning and critical support for recovery.
“For millions of children in Sudan, conflict and displacement have disrupted not only their education, but also their sense of safety, routine and hope for the future. Access to safe, quality education is a fundamental right and one of the most effective ways to protect children and support their recovery during times of crisis,” Lanino said in a press release.
“Through this ECW multi-year investment and partnership, children in Sudan will be able to access learning opportunities that provide critical protection, psychosocial support and a pathway to recovery, resilience and a brighter future,” he added.
ECW said 48% of the budget would be allocated to national and local partners in Sudan, adding that local organizations would work alongside other concerned groups, including the Alsalam Organisation for Relief and Development (AORD), to “ensure the response is rooted in the priorities and capacities of the communities it serves.”
“Communities in Sudan have shown extraordinary resilience despite the immense challenges they continue to face. As a Sudanese organisation, we know that lasting impact comes from solutions that are rooted in local knowledge, trust and partnerships with the communities we serve,” AORD General Director Rudwan Elfaki said in a press statement.
“Through this program, we will work alongside families, teachers and local partners to help children return to safe, inclusive learning environments where they can recover, regain hope and build the skills they need for the future,” he added.
ECW’s $22 million investment provides seed funding toward a total program requirement of $39 million. (ANI)
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