Beyond the shelling of schools documented by the United Nations Security Council’s Panel of Experts report submitted last year, which cited attacks carried out by aircraft belonging to the Sudanese Armed Forces in Port Sudan, education in Sudan has come to an almost complete standstill because of the country’s economic crisis, particularly in areas under army control.
An Entire Generation Without Education
According to the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies, the number of children deprived of their right to education during the war reached 19 million pupils outside the academic year for 2024–2025.
UNICEF reported that 17 million Sudanese children are unable to attend school.
Among them, 7.9 million have not returned to nearby schools despite their reopening, due to fears of being targeted and the absence of security and stability.
The humanitarian platform ReliefWeb notes that Sudan’s war has forced children to remain absent from school for more than 500 days as of January this year. The report states that Sudan is experiencing one of the longest periods of school closures and educational disruption in the world, surpassing even the most severe shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Save the Children stated that the emergency crisis in Sudan has left approximately 17 million Sudanese children unable to access their fundamental right to education, as the civil conflict has disrupted learning nationwide, displaced families, and devastated communities.
Sudan is facing one of the world’s worst education crises. Most schools have been closed and used as military sites by the army in the capital, Khartoum. At the same time, many displaced people have taken refuge in school buildings, converting them into shelters and accommodation centers. This has left children without safe places to learn and significantly increased the likelihood that millions will never complete their education.
Save the Children Chief Executive Officer Inger Ashing said: “Children who have fled unimaginable violence in Sudan deserve more than just safety. They deserve the opportunity to learn, to have hope, and to rebuild their lives. Education is not a luxury for children; it is a lifeline that protects them from exploitation, early marriage, and recruitment into armed groups. It provides security, stability, and hope for the future.”
No Economy Means No Education
Sudan is enduring its worst economic crisis, with the local currency having collapsed to 600,000 pounds against the U.S. dollar. Citizens’ purchasing power has sharply deteriorated, leaving many unable to secure basic necessities, let alone afford their children’s education should schools reopen.
Transparency International reported that the country’s wealth and resources are being redirected toward the war through army-controlled companies that seek to capture all available domestic revenues to finance the conflict.
The report stated that the Sudanese Armed Forces, under the leadership of army commander and Port Sudan authority Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, control the country’s gold and wheat resources. It also noted that companies affiliated with the military are granted exemptions from taxes and fees and are not subject to financial oversight—practices described as clear cases of corruption that directly affect national income and, consequently, the provision of essential services such as healthcare and education during the war.
Shaza Balla, Director of the International Projects Center in Sudan, told Radio Dabanga: “These networks have interests in the war economy, including the arms trade and mining and gold extraction, which currently constitute the primary source of funding for both sides of the conflict.”
Shaza added that “gold revenues are flowing into the pockets of the military establishment.” She noted that the sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Kingdom between May and August on the gold-mining companies Meroe Gold and Al-Junaid were not surprising, adding that discussions are currently underway within the European Union regarding sanctions on companies accused of supporting the war.
Food shortages and the exposure of children to acute malnutrition also affect their ability to engage in education on a daily basis should schools reopen in some areas. This threatens to deprive the country of further economic opportunities for future recovery if children are not educated as expected.