Sudan and Southern Sudan

Map of Sudan and Southern SudanFighting has cost at least 2 million lives, and forced 4 million people from their homes. Around 90% of the population in Sudan live below the poverty line. In Southern Sudan, one in four children dies before their fifth birthday.

Sudan has known only 11 years of peace since it gained independence in 1956.

Tens of thousands of families still have very limited access to basic healthcare, with just one trained doctor for every 100,000 people. And more than half of all children in Sudan don't go to school.

In Darfur, in the west, at least two million people have been displaced by fighting between militias and rebel forces. Nearly a quarter of a million people have fled and are living in refugee camps along the border with Chad.

The people of Darfur have been terrorised by the fighting. They've had their homes looted and burned, and seen family members killed. Many women and young girls have been raped and abducted. Children have experienced trauma, separation from their families, displacement, forced recruitment, physical and sexual abuse, malnutrition, and sometimes starvation. Despite a partial peace agreement in 2006, fighting is still ongoing.

  • We're protecting 45,239 children from violence and abuse
  • We're educating 15,948 displaced children
  • We're reducing malnutrition for 1,260 children under five

Save the Children in Sudan and Southern Sudan

Following the recent peace agreement, we split our operations into two programmes: one for Southern Sudan and one for northern (including western and eastern) Sudan.

Southern Sudan gained the right to govern itself in 2005. It is estimated that two million people died and four million were displaced during the 20-year war with the north. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement remains fragile. Tensions over north /south border demarcation are rife. A referendum to decide the south’s long-term status will be held in 2011.

We’re protecting children

Many children in Sudan don't live with their families. They may have become separated while fleeing the fighting or abusive families, or trying to find food or work. These children end up living on the streets. In many areas, children are forcibly recruited as soldiers by the various fighting forces. All of these children risk being physically and sexually abused.

We’re protecting 45,239 children from violence, abuse and exploitation.

We’ve set up 9 community-based child protection networks in the areas where we work, as well as 11 youth groups, 11 women’s groups and 4 children’s committees. These networks bring together separated children, representatives of their community and the authorities so that they can work together to understand the problems children face and find solutions.

Last year we trained 644 members of these groups on children’s rights, child protection, genderbased violence, HIV and AIDS and harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation.

In Southern Sudan in the past year, we've provided educational materials and teacher training to 46 schools, benefiting more than 23,000 children.

We’re providing good quality primary education

The legacy of decades of fighting is that Sudan's education system is barely functioning. One in every two children misses out on their right to primary education. Corporal punishment is common. Families have to pay for schoolbooks and materials and contribute to school running costs, including teachers' salaries.

Through our Rewrite the Future campaign, we’re providing a quality education to 15,948 displaced children (including 6,355 girls) in 18 schools in Khartoum. We’re also helping children who missed out on schooling catch up through three accelerated learning programme (ALP) centres in Port Sudan. Last year, the ALP centres enabled 121 girls and 100 boys to go to school for the first time.

We’re reducing child malnutrition

Another legacy of the fighting is that many families in Sudan no longer have enough land or a reliable income to survive on. And the millions of people who were displaced from their homes have had to rely on aid to get food and other essentials. Shortages of food can often result in chronic or acute malnutrition, and children are most vulnerable.

We’re starting a project to provide supplementary feeding to reduce malnutrition among 1,260 children under five.

Find out more

Sudan related articles

Saturday 7 March 2009 At least one million children at risk by Sudan aid suspension
The safety and survival of a million Sudanese children is at grave risk, not only in Darfur but across the whole of northern Sudan.
Thursday 5 March 2009 Save the Children UK's statement on being asked to suspend operations in Sudan
Ken Caldwell, Save the Children UK’s director of international operations, said:
Thursday 5 March 2009 Save the Children UK's statement on being asked to suspend operations in Sudan
Ken Caldwell, Save the Children UK’s director of international operations, made a statement on being asked to suspend Save the Children UK operations in Sudan.
Wednesday 9 January 2008 Conditions for children reach crisis point in Southern Sudan
Three years after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between north and south Sudan, thousands of children are still facing death.
Wednesday 19 September 2007 Africa under water: Children in 19 countries affected by floods
Half a million children have been affected by widespread flooding across 19 countries in Africa. Torrential rains and floods have swept over east and west Africa in recent weeks, destroying homes and schools and washing away crops and livestock.
Friday 29 June 2007 George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt help Save the Children
Not on Our Watch, a new organisation headed by George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Jerry Weintraub and David Pressman, has announced a one million dollar donation to Save the Children
Monday 25 June 2007 Crisis in Darfur and Chad
Over 70 children under the age of five die every day in Darfur.
Countries we’re working in

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