The ongoing conflict in Sudan has spiraled into a catastrophic humanitarian disaster, with children bearing the heaviest burden. As violence continues to ravage the country, millions of children are being torn from their homes, facing an uncertain and perilous future. The impact of the war on Sudan’s youngest citizens is profound, and the scale of the crisis continues to grow as families are forced to flee their homes in search of safety, often with little more than the clothes on their backs.

As of now, nearly 25 million people in Sudan—half of the country’s population—are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Among these, almost 14 million are children who face the brunt of the conflict’s worst consequences. Over 4.6 million children have been displaced since April 2023, with nearly 1 million of them crossing into neighboring countries, including Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan, in search of refuge. For many of these children, the horrors they’ve experienced include the loss of family members, witnessing violence, and enduring long-term trauma. For those who manage to survive the violence, their lives are marked by deprivation, uncertainty, and immense suffering.

Before the conflict began, Sudan already faced significant challenges in terms of child welfare, with one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world. Years of economic hardship, political instability, and inadequate healthcare systems left millions of children vulnerable to preventable diseases and poor health outcomes. The conflict has worsened these conditions, pushing millions of children into extreme vulnerability. Now, more than ever, these children are at risk of long-term physical and psychological harm.

It is estimated that 3.7 million children under five years old are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year. Among them, 730,000 are expected to experience life-threatening severe acute malnutrition, a condition that can result in death without urgent intervention. With the healthcare system in tatters and medical supplies in short supply, these children are fighting for survival in the most dire of circumstances. They are especially susceptible to diseases like malaria, measles, and cholera, which continue to spread rapidly in Sudan’s conflict zones. The collapse of immunization programs has left many children vulnerable to these deadly diseases, with one in six children now completely unprotected.

In addition to the health crisis, access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services remains critically low. An estimated 11 million people—nearly a third of Sudan’s population—lack access to clean water and proper sanitation, which exacerbates the spread of waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera. In displacement camps and informal settlements, where living conditions are overcrowded and unsanitary, the risk of disease is ever-present. The lack of proper sanitation means that children are particularly at risk, as their developing immune systems are ill-equipped to fight off infections.

The education sector in Sudan has also been decimated by the ongoing violence. Prior to the conflict, Sudan already had one of the lowest education rates in the region, and the war has only made the situation worse. Schools have been destroyed, and many have been repurposed as shelters for displaced families or occupied by armed groups. As a result, 17 million children are out of school, with no prospect of returning to their classrooms in the immediate future. This disruption in education is not just a temporary setback—it threatens to deprive a generation of children of the knowledge and skills they need to build a better future for themselves and their country. Without education, these children are more likely to face lifelong challenges, including poverty, exploitation, and even recruitment into armed groups.

The toll on children extends beyond the physical and psychological effects of violence, hunger, and disease. The ongoing conflict has exposed many children to grave protection risks. As families flee their homes, children are often separated from their parents and caregivers, making them vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. The lack of safety and security in many areas has also led to an increase in child recruitment by armed groups, further perpetuating the cycle of violence. These children face not only the immediate dangers of combat but also the long-term trauma of being forced to fight in a war that has already cost so many lives.

The humanitarian community has been working tirelessly to provide assistance to Sudan’s children, but the scale of the crisis has overwhelmed existing resources. Aid organizations are struggling to reach those in need, as the fighting has made transportation and delivery of supplies incredibly difficult. Health clinics, hospitals, and schools that might have provided essential services in a more stable environment are either non-operational or overstretched beyond their capacity. The international community’s response has been slow and insufficient, and without a large-scale mobilization of resources, the situation for Sudan’s children will only continue to deteriorate.

The conflict in Sudan is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of war on the most vulnerable members of society—children. Their lives have been irrevocably changed by the violence that has torn through their communities, and their futures remain uncertain as they grapple with trauma, displacement, and a lack of basic services. The longer the fighting continues, the more profound the consequences will be—not just for Sudan but for the entire region.

However, there is still hope. The international community has a moral responsibility to act and provide the necessary support to address the urgent needs of Sudan’s children. Governments, humanitarian organizations, and donors must work together to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most. This includes providing life-saving services like food, medical care, water, and sanitation, as well as ensuring that children are protected from exploitation, abuse, and recruitment into armed forces. Most importantly, there must be a concerted effort to end the violence and create the conditions for peace, so that Sudan’s children can have a chance at rebuilding their lives and their country.

The situation in Sudan is a crisis of unprecedented scale, but it is also a call to action. The children of Sudan need our help now more than ever. Their survival depends on the immediate mobilization of humanitarian aid, the restoration of essential services, and the protection of their rights. If we fail to act, the consequences for these children will be catastrophic, with lasting effects on their futures, the future of Sudan, and the broader region. The world must not stand by and watch as a generation of children is lost to this senseless conflict. It is time to act, before it is too late.