Sudan Faces World’s Largest Child Displacement Crisis Amid War

Two years after armed conflict erupted in Khartoum on 15 April 2023, the war between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered a catastrophic humanitarian emergency. Across the country, 15 million people have been forced from their homes, leaving children to bear the brunt of widespread devastation, acute hunger, and collapsing infrastructure.

The Scale of the Displacement Crisis in Sudan

New analysis from Save the Children reveals that an average of one child every 10 seconds has been uprooted since the conflict began. With over 6.5 million children displaced from their homes, Sudan now represents the largest child displacement crisis globally.

Mohamad Abdiladif, the Country Director for Save the Children Sudan, emphasized the severity of the situation. He noted that for two years, armed conflict and widespread violence in Sudan had caused immense suffering for children, adding that the crisis remains largely underreported internationally.

Humanitarian organizations on the ground report that approximately 15 million children urgently require aid. Among them, 7.4 million lack access to safe drinking water, while 2 million have missed critical vaccinations. The disruption extends heavily into education, where roughly 19 million children—representing one in three children in Sudan—are out of school, leaving them vulnerable to child labor, early marriage, and recruitment into armed groups.

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Escalating Hunger and the Threat of Famine Across Regions

Food insecurity has reached critical levels, driven by conflict-induced inflation that has caused food prices to soar by up to 300% in parts of the country. According to European Union humanitarian assessments, about 25 million people face severe food shortages. Famine has been confirmed in at least 10 areas, with additional regions at risk.

Acute malnutrition threatens nearly 4 million children under the age of 5. Without immediate medical treatment, more than 770,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition face the risk of dying from starvation. Humanitarian agencies warn that a severely malnourished child is 12 times more likely to succumb to common illnesses such as cholera and diarrhea.

Invisible Children Born Out of Conflict and Siege

Beyond immediate physical dangers, the conflict has fractured civil administration and stripped newborns of basic legal recognition. In el-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in the western region of Darfur before it fell to the RSF and allied militias after an 18-month siege, families faced constant bombardment and severe food shortages.

Civilians fleeing the city encountered extreme violence. Amira, a 17-year-old Sudanese girl whose name was changed to protect her identity, was abducted by three armed men from the RSF while trying to escape south-west of el-Fasher. She recounted being held captive and raped daily in a room in the Tabit area for two months before being released near her point of capture after falling severely ill from a resulting pregnancy.

Months later, at a humanitarian hub outside RSF control, Amira gave birth at a hospital run by the International Medical Corps with support from the Nada Al-Azhar Foundation for Disaster Prevention and Sustainable Development. While she reunited with her family in a displacement camp, obtaining official identity documents for her child proved impossible.

Without a birth notification or information regarding the father, Amira cannot register the child. She explained that she could not get him vaccinated or enroll him in nursery or school, noting her fear for his future amid ongoing economic hardship and trauma.

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Surging Gender-Based Violence and Mental Health Pressures

The conflict has also generated a 500% increase in cases of killing, sexual violence, and the recruitment of child soldiers since fighting began. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that 6.7 million people in Sudan are at risk of gender-based violence, with women and girls enduring high levels of assault, abduction, and exploitation during displacement.

Psychological trauma remains pervasive among survivors. Citing a World Health Organization study, humanitarian reports indicate that 22% of conflict-affected individuals are likely to develop mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety, with children exceptionally vulnerable.

To address these needs, organizations including the International Rescue Committee, backed by European Union humanitarian aid, operate clinics providing mental health consultations and emergency assistance across regions such as Port Sudan, White Nile State, the River Nile, and Darfur.