CARE International paints bleak picture of Sudan education crisis
October 26, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – CARE International painted a bleak picture of Sudan’s education future on Monday, saying most schools lack drinking water and sanitation, and 8 million children are deprived of schooling.
Authorities are seeking to return children to schools, which have suffered 67 attacks since 2024.
The United Nations reported 154 cases of the military using education facilities.
About 8 million children lack access to any form of classroom education, CARE said in a report.
About 19 to 19.5 million children’s education has been affected or interrupted, according to estimates by UNICEF and Education Cannot Wait.
The organization revealed the reopening of 12,243 out of 19,883 schools.
The national reopening rate rose from 32% in April 2025 to about 62% by May 2026.
Reopening schools does not necessarily mean they can receive students.
Many schools suffer from overcrowding and a lack of desks, learning materials, water, and teachers, as well as security and protection risks.
The report explained that school reopening rates vary significantly between states.
Rates did not exceed 3% in North Darfur, 13% in South Darfur, and 15% in West Kordofan.
West Kordofan has the highest dropout rates, up to 88%.
North Darfur leads the list of states most affected by limited access to education, with only 33 of 1,118 schools open.
The number of children needing education in North Darfur reached 1.13 million, while the number of out-of-school children reached 1.09 million.
Although 13% of schools in South Darfur reopened, 1.09 million children remain out of school.
East Darfur’s out-of-school children reached about 482,000, with 89% of its schools imposing tuition fees.
North Kordofan recorded the highest number of children needing education across Sudan, totalling 1.19 million children.
Khartoum’s out-of-school children reached 833,018, representing 61.1% of school-age children.
Secondary education enrollment dropped to 13% of its pre-war level.
The CARE report, covering all of Sudan’s states, drew on a systematic review of 72 documents.
It also included interviews with staff from local and international organizations, two UN agencies, government officials, and school principals.
The report highlighted a decline in water, sanitation, hygiene, and school feeding services.
Only 202 of 19,883 schools have a drinking water network.
Only 55 schools in Sudan have handwashing facilities, while only 22 have toilets.
Baseline data show that girls’ education completion rates drop by half in areas lacking toilets.
Displacement has reshaped education demand, as central and eastern states received successive waves of displaced and returning families.
The Darfur and Kordofan states have lost large numbers of schools, teachers, and administrative records.
The number of students per classroom in Atbara, River Nile state, rose from between 70 and 80 students before the war to between 150 and 180 students after displacement.
Schools in the Red Sea state have been turned into shelters, leading to the suspension of classes.
CARE reported that 18% of schools nationwide are used as shelters for displaced people.
This deprives children of education even in areas where school buildings were not destroyed.
The war has exacerbated the risks of child recruitment, child labour, gender-based violence, and early marriage, alongside the loss of educational opportunities.
The report cited UN estimates documenting the recruitment of 234 children by armed groups and 187 girls subjected to sexual violence during 2023 and 2024.
Children without access to education become more vulnerable to recruitment, forced labor, and early marriage.
This overlap links the education crisis to the broader protection crisis.
Issues of gender, disability, psychosocial stress, and the needs of overage students, nomads, and pastoralists represent common challenges.
The report highlighted wage arrears, noting that teachers’ salaries have remained unpaid or partially paid for three to four years.
Poor incentives have also driven some teachers to leave the profession.
The halt of national printing capacities during the war has restricted the production of books and educational materials.
Addressing the shortage requires providing joint solutions for production, procurement, and distribution.
Saving the country’s education sector requires funding to increase teachers’ salaries and provide educational supplies.
It also requires restoring schools and relocating displaced persons residing in educational facilities to alternative sites.