Sudan’s war threatens an ‘entire generation’s’ future, UN warns

What Happened

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed reported that over 8 million school-age children in Sudan are currently out of school due to the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). As of the 1,210th day of the conflict, the UN estimates that nearly three-quarters of schools in Sudan have been damaged, destroyed, or rendered unusable. The UN documented over 67 attacks on schools and 154 instances of military use of educational facilities since 2024, though officials noted these figures likely understate the total impact.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The systematic destruction of the educational system threatens to deprive an entire generation of Sudanese youth of future opportunities, compounding the long-term socio-economic collapse caused by the conflict. With 33 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and widespread reports of mass killings and sexual violence, the educational crisis serves as a metric for the broader societal disintegration occurring under the ongoing SAF-RSF hostilities.

Watch For

Monitor further UN Security Council sessions regarding the protection of civilian infrastructure and potential international pressure on the SAF and RSF to cease the military use of schools. Additionally, track updates from UNICEF and UN OCHA regarding the scale of displacement and the ability of humanitarian partners to maintain temporary learning programs amidst active combat.