The crisis children are facing
Sudan is caught in a perfect storm of violence, hunger and displacement that's devastating children's lives.
The world's largest child displacement crisis
6.5 million children have been forced from their homes. They've seen their schools bombed, their hospitals looted, their playgrounds destroyed. Many have lost family members to violence they should never have witnessed.
Catastrophic hunger
More than half the population is struggling to find enough food to survive. 11.6 million children are facing crisis levels of hunger. In El Fasher and Kadugli, children and their families are facing starvation as famine takes hold. One in three children under five are acutely malnourished, and without urgent treatment, many will not survive.
Trapped and forgotten
260,000 people, including 130,000 children, remain trapped in El Fasher after the city fell under siege. They face famine-like conditions, no access to healthcare, and no safe way out. Families who try to escape face extreme danger along the routes. Some have walked for four days without food or water, only to be robbed, beaten and threatened by armed groups along the way.
What this means for children
Children are paying the highest price for a conflict they had no part in.
They're being killed and injured. Their schools and hospitals have become battlegrounds. They're at grave risk of forced recruitment by armed groups, sexual violence and abduction.
They're living in crowded camps, sleeping in makeshift shelters with no safe place to learn or play. Their worlds have been turned upside down, and many are exposed to violence and trauma no child should ever experience.
Despite the staggering levels of need, this crisis is not getting the attention it deserves. There's an unprecedented lack of funding and critical gaps in humanitarian access.
Vishna Shah (Director of Child Rights Advocacy) engaging with children at a Save the Children supported girls’ school in Red Sea State.
Sudan can't wait: Sign the petition
1,000 days of war. 1,000 days of warnings and international inaction. 1,000 days of unimaginable horror. Sudan has reached catastrophic levels of suffering.
The UK is in a unique position to take action as a penholder on Sudan at the United Nations Security Council. This means we are responsible for taking the lead in drafting resolutions and on mobilising diplomatic action.
That’s why we’re teaming up with 11 UK charities to launch a petition demanding the government takes urgent action.
How we're helping children in Sudan
We've been working in Sudan since 1983. Today, we're one of the largest international charities operating in the country, and in 2024 we reached over 3.1 million people, including over 1.7 million children.
Along with local partners, we're working under extreme conditions to reach children in the hardest-hit areas with life-saving support.
Health and nutrition
We're running mobile health clinics in camps for displaced people and providing nutrition supplements for malnourished children. We've set up cholera treatment centres and arranged six cargo flights of 200 metric tonnes of medical supplies, plus 60 metric tonnes of nutrition supplies via seaport. This year alone, we've reached over 715,000 children with integrated health and nutrition programmes.
Water, sanitation and hygiene
We're ensuring access to clean water, sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion to prevent disease outbreaks in overcrowded camps. We're providing emergency hygiene kits and setting up water points in displacement sites.
Education
We're supporting 400 schools across the country. So far, we've helped over 45,000 children access formal education and 37,000 children through non-formal education programmes. We're running accelerated learning programmes so children can catch up on missed classes and continue their education despite the crisis.
Child protection and psychosocial support
We're creating safe spaces where children can play, draw and take part in sports to help them overcome trauma. These activities also relieve pressure on parents dealing with their own stress. For children showing severe signs of trauma, we refer them for specialised psychological care.
Emergency response in Tawila and Jabal Marra
We've rapidly scaled up operations in these areas, reaching over 224,000 displaced people. We're operating 11 health facilities and mobile clinics, and providing emergency shelter, food, water and hygiene kits.
We're also supporting children who've fled to neighbouring countries like South Sudan and Egypt.
Meet Sara, who was born at one of our Mobile Clinic
Asma*, 30 holds her newborn baby Sara*, 4 days old at a mobile clinic, Sudan
Meet Asma*, 30, whi fled Sinja, Sudan, with her six children after violence erupted in June 2024. Heavily pregnant, she walked for nearly two months to reach safety in Gedaref. Her husband was left behind, and she still doesn’t know if he’s alive—or that he has a newborn daughter.
At the IDP Reception Centre, Asma gave birth at Save the Children’s mobile health clinic—the first delivery at the site. She named her baby Sara, after the doctor who helped her.
Save the Children provided Asma with medical care, a bed, a heater, and essentials for her newborn. But her other children still sleep without mattresses, and medicine is hard to find.
“I wish for peace,” she said. “For the war to end, and for us to return home.”
*Name changed to protect identity.
Together, we can save lives
Children in Sudan are living through a nightmare, but with your support, we can reach them with the food, healthcare, protection and hope they desperately need.
Together, we can make sure Sudan's children are not forgotten.
