UN records 42,000 unaccompanied Sudanese children as war nears third year
March 24, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – At least 42,000 unaccompanied and separated children have been registered in Sudan and neighbouring countries as a result of the ongoing conflict, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday.
As the war nears the end of its third year, Sudanese children have faced grave violations, including killing, maiming, and sexual violence, alongside being stripped of access to education and medical care.
In a child protection briefing, UNHCR said it had identified 42,000 children separated from their families. Of these, 5,000 are within Sudan, while the remainder are among refugee populations in neighbouring states.
Chad hosts the largest number with 24,000 unaccompanied children, followed by Ethiopia with 7,000. Egypt and South Sudan each host roughly 6,000, while smaller numbers were recorded in Uganda, Libya, and the Central African Republic.
The report noted that protection services reached approximately 329,000 children across the region, with the bulk of the response concentrated in Chad and South Sudan. Around 21,000 children benefited from “best interests” procedures to determine appropriate care and solutions.
UNHCR currently operates 119 child-friendly spaces across the region, including 88 in Chad and 13 within Sudan.
The conflict has forced 4.5 million Sudanese to flee to neighbouring countries. Humanitarian agencies warn that the response is severely hampered by a lack of funds. Child protection operations require $66 million in 2026, following a 78% funding gap in 2025.
The agency warned that the deprivation of education for nearly 16 million children has driven many into informal labour and street vending.
The report further cautioned that displaced children face heightened risks of family separation, recruitment by armed groups, child labour, and forced marriage. These threats are exacerbated by psychological trauma and limited access to basic services amid worsening insecurity and vanishing livelihoods.