African state suffering one of world’s longest school closures – report

The conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary groups has blocked education for huge numbers of students

Fighting in Sudan has prevented at least 8 million children from attending school for nearly 500 days since April 2023, NGO Save the Children has reported. 

The organization called it “one of the world’s longest school closures” and said the fighting has caused widespread disruption to education.

“Across Sudan more than 8 million children – nearly half of Sudan’s 17 million school-aged children – have spent about 484 days without entering a classroom,” Save the Children said in a statement on Thursday, adding “many schools closed while others have been damaged in the conflict or are being used as shelters for displaced families, leaving children without safe places to learn.” 

According to the NGO, citing data from Sudan’s education cluster, North Darfur is hardest hit, with only 3% of more than 1,100 schools open. West Kordofan, South Darfur, and West Darfur have 15%, 13%, and 27% of schools operating, respectively.

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Many teachers have gone months without pay, lowering morale and causing some to quit. Save the Children warned that without urgent funding for teachers, learning spaces, and essential supplies, the education system could collapse.

Save the Children International CEO Inger Ashing noted that “education is not a luxury for children; it is a lifeline that protects children from exploitation, early marriage, and recruitment into armed groups,” adding that it also “provides safety, stability, and hope for the future.”

The UN estimates that 13 million people have been displaced since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 

The conflict has also fueled a sharp rise in poverty. Sudan’s minister of human resources and social welfare, Mutasim Ahmed Saleh, said in November that approximately 23 million Sudanese citizens, around 71% of the population, now live below the poverty line, up from 21% before the war.

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Humanitarian agencies have reported that food insecurity is also widespread. In September, around 21.2 million people faced acute food shortages, particularly in Al Fashir and Kadugli, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).