The reality for children in Sudan is growing darker hour by hour

UNICEF

Remarks

This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF Chief of Communication in Sudan, Eva Hinds – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva

14 April 2026

PORT SUDAN/GENEVA, 14 April 2026 – “After three devastating years of war, children in Sudan continue to bear the heaviest toll, with drones responsible for nearly 80 per cent of all reported child killings and injuries.

“As this conflict enters its fourth year, the reality for children in Sudan is growing darker hour by hour. In just the first three months of this year, at least 245 children were reportedly killed or injured. This is a sharp increase compared to the same period last year. Most of these children killed or injured were in Darfur and the Kordofan states, where violence has become a constant part of daily life.

“Underscoring a worsening situation for children, attacks in Sudan today are increasingly indiscriminate. Drone attacks now account for the vast majority of child casualties reported this year.

“None of this is confined to battlefields. Drones are killing and wounding girls and boys in their homes, in markets, on the roads, near schools and health facilities – all places that should never be targets.

“‘People were killed in front of us. I was so afraid to die,'” explained 13-year-old Nuha. She hid under her bed with her siblings.

“Since the war began, the United Nations has verified more than 5,700 grave violations against children across Sudan. More than 4,300 children have been killed or maimed, with Darfur and Kordofan states again accounting for the highest numbers.

“These figures are staggering. Yet they still do not reflect the full scale of harm occurring to children in Sudan. Continued insecurity and access constraints mean that many attacks on children go unreported and unverified.

“Alongside the drones and the violence, displacement is reshaping childhood across Sudan. Over the past three years, more than five million children have been forced to flee their homes. Many have fled repeatedly as frontlines shift and violence spreads. Families are now living in overcrowded, fragile conditions, struggling to meet even the most basic needs.

“Humanitarian access remains a major challenge. Large parts of the country are still cut off because of fighting, damaged infrastructure, and administrative obstacles. These constraints are especially severe in Darfur, Kordofan and parts of Blue Nile state, leaving many of the most vulnerable children beyond reach.

“At the same time, hunger, disease, and the risk of famine are deepening and spreading. Years of conflict and repeated displacement have destroyed livelihoods, disrupted markets, and hollowed out basic services. Famine has been confirmed in Al Fasher and Kadugli, with conditions worsening in Um Baru and Kernoi.

“This year alone, an estimated 4.2 million children across Sudan are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition. More than 825,000 of them will be severely malnourished, a condition that can be fatal without urgent treatment.

“Education has also been devastated. Nearly half of school buildings in Sudan are no longer functioning as classrooms, with many closed or repurposed as shelters or occupied by armed actors. As a result, at least eight million children are currently out of school.

“Despite the insecurity and access challenges, UNICEF and its partners are still delivering lifesaving health, nutrition, water, education and child protection services wherever possible. But the response is under enormous strain.

“In 2026, UNICEF needs US$ 962.9 million to reach 7.9 million children across Sudan with lifesaving assistance. If that sounds like a lot, consider this: It is around US$120 per child. At this time in our lives, it may be worth comparing that to filling up a tank of fuel in a car, once. In Sudan, it’s a child’s life.

“As of March, only 16 per cent of that funding has been received. Without urgent and sustained support, programmes that keep children alive will be forced to scale back. ‘Scaling back’ means being forced to do less and for children, doing less can have deadly consequences.

“Protecting children in Sudan is not optional. It requires respect for international humanitarian law, safe and sustained humanitarian access, and predictable funding for lifesaving services. The cost of failure is already painfully clear, and it is being paid by children.

Thank you.”