Three Years of Agony: Sudan’s Children Trapped and Carry the Deepest Scars

• ​17.3 million Children in Need: Mass hunger has gripped the nation, with acute food insecurity across the country.
• ​ 4.2 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition; 800,000 are in a state of physical wasting so severe that it is irreversible without specialised therapeutic feeding.
• ​ The collapse of social systems has left girls vulnerable to horrific sexual violence and exploitation.
• ​10.5 million remain out of school; they have not been in a classroom for three years. 

PORT SUDAN, April 7, 2026 — Sudan has become the most traumatic place for children. As the conflict enters its fourth year of relentless violence, World Vision warns that an entire generation is being systematically wiped out, while international silence is measured in lives lost every hour.

Every day, children are being killed and injured as violence continues, and grave violations of children’s rights are being reported across the country. Homes, schools and health facilities have been damaged or destroyed, stripping children of safety, education, care, and any sense of normal life.

The toll of three years of conflict is staggering. Currently, 17.3 million children are in desperate need as widespread hunger grips the nation, with famine conditions confirmed in multiple regions. This hunger has caused 4.2 million children to suffer from acute malnutrition, including more than 800,000 who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

In a single internally displaced camp in Fina, East Jabel Marra, more than 200 unaccompanied children have been identified, a heartbreaking snapshot of a crisis reflected in displacement sites across the country, where children continue to suffer in silence. Beyond the physical toll, the collapse of social systems has left girls vulnerable to horrific sexual violence, while 10.5 million children remain out of school after being denied a classroom for three consecutive years.

​"Behind every statistic is a child who has lost their home, their school, and their safety," says Simon Mane, World Vision Sudan National Director. "The presence of hundreds of unaccompanied children in camps like those in Fina shows how children continue to suffer in silence. Without an immediate surge in funding and a commitment to peace, these scars will be permanent."

​The scale of the crisis is evident in the daily lives of those surviving the conflict. In South Darfur, nine-year-old Omer represents the physical toll of a nation gripped by famine. Suffering from stunted growth, he lacks the energy to play and survives on just one bowl of porridge a day or goes without food. "My legs feel heavy, and my stomach always hurts. I am just so tired. I don't want to play; I just want the hunger to stop," Omer said.

Even places intended for healing have become targets. Adam is a survivor of a direct attack on a hospital that left 17 children dead and dozens more seriously injured. "There was a big bang and the hospital fell," Adam says. "All my legs are now paralysed." His story underscores the complete collapse of safe spaces for the most vulnerable, including children.

​The violence has forced millions into a harrowing choice: stay and perish or flee toward a survival that is never guaranteed. More than 13 million people have been forced to flee their homes.

 Ibrahim, only 11, remembers the terror of his journey after his family home was shelled. "The sky was black with smoke and I saw people covered in blood," Ibrahim recalls. "We ran until we could not breathe. I thought we would be safe here, but there is nothing but dust. I used to have books and a bed. Now we sleep on the ground in a makeshift shelter and I wait for food that never comes."

For girls, the nightmare is even darker as protection systems disappear. Shaila was separated from her family while fleeing to East Jabel Marra, only to face sexual violence that has left her pregnant and alone. 

​World Vision remains on the ground delivering life-saving assistance, but the gap between human need and available resources is widening at a catastrophic rate. We demand an immediate and massive increase in global funding to scale up life-saving food, water, and specialised nutrition services in Suda. Most critically, there must be an immediate end to the targeting of civilians and a concerted effort to protect unaccompanied minors.

​"The children of Sudan have shown incredible resilience," concludes Mane. "But resilience has its limits. They need the world to care as much about their survival. Every hour of delay increases the risk of death for more children.”

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​About World Vision

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

Media Contact:

Grace Mavhezha | Communication and Public Engagement Manager|+263 775 180 450 grace_mavhezha@wvi.org