“The reality for children in Sudan is growing darker hour by hour,” UNICEF spokeswoman Eva Hinds said as the country’s civil war entered its fourth year.
The conflict, which began in April 2023 after the collapse of a fragile transition to civilian rule following Sudan’s 2019 uprising, pits the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Fighting has spread across much of the country, devastating cities and forcing more than 13 million people from their homes, according to the World Health Organization.
More than 4,300 children have been killed or maimed since the war began, UNICEF reports, with Darfur and Kordofan states suffering the highest tolls. Ashan Abeywardena, emergency response manager at War Child, said the prolonged conflict has had a severe impact on minors: “Going through three years of conflict, it has a massive impact on these children and women. Children’s daily lives are shaped by news of death and destruction.”
Indiscriminate drone strikes — increasingly used by both sides — have caused many deaths and injuries. “Drones are killing and wounding girls and boys in their homes, in markets, on the roads, near schools and health facilities — all places that should never be targets,” Hinds told reporters. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said that nearly 700 civilians were reportedly killed in drone strikes in the first three months of this year.
Both the RSF and SAF have targeted civilian infrastructure in attempts to slow their opponents, destroying hospitals, roads and schools and worsening the civilian plight.
Humanitarian crisis spills into East Africa
The war’s effects stretch beyond Sudan. DW Kenya correspondent Andrew Wasike said the conflict is no longer viewed as contained: “In East Africa, the war is not just a distant conflict. It’s both a humanitarian catastrophe and a regional security problem.” Displacement, disrupted trade routes and rising political tensions are increasing pressure on neighboring countries.
Despite the scale of suffering, Sudan has struggled to stay a global priority. Denise Brown, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, said the crisis has effectively been abandoned, citing widespread atrocities documented by the UN, including systematic sexual violence, sieges driving communities toward famine, and mass killings. She highlighted a deadly episode in el-Fasher last year when thousands were reportedly killed in days of fighting. “My question is, what is the world waiting for?” she asked, urging a response on par with other major crises.
Germany hosted an international conference in Berlin to raise funds for those affected. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul hoped to raise more than $1 billion; organizers later announced that €1.3 billion had been pledged, surpassing last year’s donor conference in London.
This article was adapted from an episode of DW’s AfricaLink podcast.