Sudan is facing one of the most protracted and devastating education crises in the world, as nearly two years of armed conflict have forced millions of children out of classrooms and stripped an entire generation of its right to learn. Since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), education across the country has been brought to a near standstill, with humanitarian organizations warning that the damage could be irreversible without urgent intervention.

According to Save the Children, at least 8 million Sudanese children have been unable to attend school for almost 500 consecutive days. The organization has described the situation as “one of the world’s longest school closures,” underscoring the scale of a crisis that now affects nearly half of Sudan’s 17 million school-aged children. For many students, classrooms have been replaced by displacement camps, overcrowded homes, or streets shaped by insecurity and fear.

In a statement released on January 22, Save the Children said that children across Sudan have spent approximately 484 days without entering a classroom. While some schools closed immediately after fighting began, others were later damaged, destroyed, or repurposed as shelters for displaced families. As a result, millions of children have been left without safe, structured environments for learning, social interaction, or emotional support.

The regional disparities are particularly stark. Citing data from Sudan’s education cluster, Save the Children reported that North Darfur has been the hardest hit, with only 3 percent of more than 1,100 schools still functioning. In West Kordofan, just 15 percent of schools remain open, while South Darfur and West Darfur report operating rates of 13 percent and 27 percent, respectively. In many areas, schools that once served as community hubs now stand abandoned, looted, or damaged by shelling and gunfire.

The collapse of the education system is not limited to school buildings alone. Teachers, a critical pillar of learning, are also bearing the brunt of the crisis. Many educators have gone months without receiving salaries, eroding morale and forcing some to abandon the profession altogether in search of alternative means of survival. Save the Children has warned that without immediate funding to support teachers, establish temporary learning spaces, and provide essential supplies, Sudan’s education system risks total collapse.

For children, the consequences extend far beyond missed lessons. Save the Children International CEO Inger Ashing has emphasized that education is not a luxury, but a lifeline. “Education protects children from exploitation, early marriage, and recruitment into armed groups,” she said, adding that it also provides “safety, stability, and hope for the future.” In conflict zones, schools often serve as protective environments where children can regain a sense of normalcy. Their absence leaves young people exposed to heightened risks of abuse, labor exploitation, and forced involvement in violence.

The education crisis is unfolding against the backdrop of one of the world’s largest displacement emergencies. The United Nations estimates that around 13 million people have been displaced since fighting began, including millions of children. Families have fled their homes multiple times, often crossing internal front lines or seeking refuge in neighboring countries. In such conditions, schooling becomes an afterthought, even when parents value education deeply.

At the same time, Sudan is experiencing a dramatic surge in poverty. In November, the country’s minister of human resources and social welfare, Mutasim Ahmed Saleh, stated that approximately 23 million Sudanese citizens-around 71 percent of the population-now live below the poverty line. This represents a sharp increase from an estimated 21 percent before the war. As household incomes collapse, families struggle to meet basic needs such as food and shelter, making school-related expenses, however small, impossible to bear.

Food insecurity has further compounded the crisis. Humanitarian agencies report that acute hunger is widespread, with around 21.2 million people facing severe food shortages as of September. Areas such as Al Fashir and Kadugli have been particularly affected, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Malnutrition and hunger undermine children’s ability to concentrate, learn, and develop, even if schools were to reopen tomorrow.

The long-term implications of prolonged school closures are profound. Education experts warn that extended disruptions can lead to permanent dropouts, especially among girls and children from poorer households. Once children leave the education system, the likelihood of returning diminishes sharply, increasing the risk of a “lost generation” with limited skills, reduced economic prospects, and heightened vulnerability to cycles of poverty and instability.

Moreover, the collapse of education threatens Sudan’s future recovery. A functioning education system is essential for rebuilding institutions, restoring social cohesion, and fostering economic growth after conflict. Without it, the country risks deepening inequality and prolonging instability long after the fighting subsides.

Humanitarian organizations are calling on the international community to prioritize education as an emergency response, not a secondary concern. Funding for teacher salaries, psychosocial support, temporary classrooms, and learning materials is urgently needed. Equally important is ensuring that schools, where possible, are protected from military use and restored as safe spaces for children.

As the conflict grinds on with no clear resolution in sight, millions of Sudanese children continue to wait-waiting for classrooms to reopen, for teachers to return, and for a future that feels increasingly out of reach. The crisis unfolding in Sudan is not only a humanitarian disaster but a stark reminder that wars do not merely destroy cities and infrastructure; they also erase opportunities, silence dreams, and steal time that children can never regain.

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Source: Weekly Blitz :: Writings