Sudan conflict sends more children out of schools: report

July 26, 2023 (JUBA) – The ongoing conflict in Sudan has forced more than 40,000 school children to flee into South Sudan, a United Nations report said.

The fighting, which started on April 15, has disrupted studies of school children.

“Over 40,000 school-age children have been displaced and are out of education since the crisis began, exposed to disease, malnutrition and exploitation,” partly reads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report.

This categories of children, it further noted, face a lot of challenges upon arrival, experience severe food insecurity and have remained economically vulnerable.

According to the report, South Sudan returnees in Unity State are predominantly vulnerable groups of women and children who arrived with physical injuries and reported they were harassed and looted by armed groups during their journey.

The OCHA report, released on July 24, said over 183,000 people have crossed the border since conflict between Sudan’s rival military factions started on April 15.

“The situation is dire, and the youngest victims, the children, bear the brunt”, it said.

Majority of those fleeing the conflict in Sudan are South Sudanese who moved to Sudan before and after secession in 2011 to escape either turmoil in search of safety and security or persecution at the hands of armed groups in the conflict.

Fighting between the Sudanese army (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (SAF) has reportedly has killed over 3,000 civilians and displaced more than 3 million since April 15, amid reports that 25 million people need humanitarian aid and protection.

(ST)