The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has issued a stark warning as the conflict in Sudan enters its fourth year, highlighting a catastrophic collapse of the country's education system. According to verified UN data, an estimated 19 million school-aged children are currently out of school, making it one of the worst education crises in the world. Among these, approximately 3 million are internally displaced.
Higher education has been devastated, with around 80% of the nation's universities and higher education institutions either closed, damaged, or destroyed since the war began in April 2023. The fighting has severely damaged critical infrastructure, including over 170 schools reportedly destroyed in Khartoum state alone in the initial months of the conflict.
UNESCO is coordinating with national and international partners to provide emergency education support. This includes efforts to establish temporary learning spaces, provide psychological support for students and teachers, and distribute learning materials. The agency emphasizes that the loss of education threatens to create a "lost generation," with profound long-term consequences for Sudan's development and stability.
