NCCW Secretary-General in an Interview with (Sudan Events): There are 87% of children below the poverty line

NCCW Secretary-General in an Interview with (Sudan Events)
* The militia forcibly recruited (4,230) children.
* More than 10,000 children have been killed, raped and disappeared since the rebellion.
* There are 87% of children below the poverty line
* We filed reports about the rape and murder of a Sudanese breast-fed female in Cairo.
* The United Nations colluded in classifying the militia as a terrorist organization
Tragic conditions that Sudanese children have been experiencing since the Rapid Support militia (RSF) rebelled against the Sudanese Armed Forces in April of last year, between their forced recruitment, killings and rape by the militia, and their loss of the most basic necessities of life, such as education, health and food, which led to large numbers of them suffering from malnutrition, and what increased the scale of the tragedy. What children and their families suffer in neighboring countries, and the incident of rape and killing of a Sudanese girl in Cairo represented an example of the violations that children are exposed to as a result of the repercussions of war. (Sudan Events) conducted an interview with the Secretary-General of the National Council for Child Welfare (NCCW), Professor Abdul Qadir Abdullah Aboh, and came up with the following conclusion.

Interviewed by: Aya Ibrahim

First, how do you comment on the rape and murder of a Sudanese infant in Cairo, which sparked widespread reactions?
Through our office in Egypt and our sources, we are following up on the procedures of the incident, which are proceeding closely with the competent authorities in accordance with the established legal procedures. We have many parties with whom we cooperate and our mechanisms exist in some direct and indirect areas to follow up on the cases of children in refugee status. The procedures are proceeding accurately. We have submitted all direct and indirect reports to the competent authorities.

Does this incident lead us to the situation of children in neighboring countries?
Refugees in neighboring countries are suffering from shelter and livelihood. The war has revealed how others deal with the Sudanese. We tell the United Nations and others to work with all seriousness to implement the asylum law and take care of them and their children in particular. Sudan is a genuine partner in the United Nations and its agencies. We continue to follow this matter continuously. Through social responsibility, popular diplomacy, and our official diplomacy, the conditions of children are very bad, even spending on education from their families while they are in a state of refuge causes great suffering. We call on UNICEF, the competent authorities, and our embassies to work more effectively to overcome the ordeal we are experiencing in Sudan and for neighboring countries to respect United Nations charters. .
The recruitment of children into militia ranks is a disturbing issue. How is it confronted and what is the current position regarding it?
The militia does not respect human rights and international humanitarian law. The United Nations has colluded in classifying the militia as a terrorist organization and is now carrying out forced recruitment of children in Kordofan, Darfur and Gezira, and this is considered brutal and inhuman behavior.
Can you give us some statistics on children forces recruitment by militia?
The rebel militia recruited about 1,800 children in the Dabaibat area in South Kordofan, 850 children in El Geneina, West Darfur, and 480 children in Zalingei, Central Darfur, in addition to recruiting 1,100 children in Gezira State. The International Committee of the Red Cross had previously received 30 children recruited by the rebel militia and handed them over to the National Council for Child Welfare, which directed the procedures according to the standard operational procedures with partners and the Children’s Department of the Sudanese Armed Forces to hand them over to their families during the month of October 2023.
How do you face that?

We filed a complaint with the Attorney General, Chairman of the Violations Committee regarding the militia’s forced recruitment of children.
What about the cases of killing, rape and disappearance of children since the start of the militia rebellion?
There are more than 10 thousand children who have been subjected to murder, rape and disappearance since the rebellion, which practices all types of sexual behavior in front of the children. It is an immoral militia that practices animalistic acts against Sudanese families. In the state of Gezira, the matter continues with killing, rape, disappearance and kidnapping. We call them the grave violations that it the militia and its supporters committed. We ask the United Nations not to allow such inhumane absurdity practiced by the militia in the form of templates to market itself to others. We have statistics and public and secret follow-ups about the rebels and their supporters.
This is other than the children who suffer from poverty and malnutrition?
87% of our children live in exceptional, stifling conditions as a result of the grave violations committed by the rebel militia since April 15, 2023, as they were affected directly in areas of conflict and war, and indirectly in the states affected by the war, in terms of displacement, livelihood, and health. Therefore, education stopped and basic services for the child diminished, as his rights were affected by indicators of invasion. The rebel militia invaded the homes, displaced and took refuge, and families lost their sources of livelihood. Therefore, we find that an estimated percentage of children reaching 87% are below the poverty line and did not find their share of voluntary humanitarian aid in war conditions from the United Nations and its specialized agencies, which said that donors refused to deal with the competent authorities in Sudan: To make matters worse, the price for which our children have paid is that donors have practiced a policy of double standards. It is not uncommon for us to hear about the politicization of humanitarian and voluntary work against children as a fragile group that must be cared for.
So what else?

We need more work for children. We say to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the United Nations Children’s Officer to stand up and mobilize the United Nations agencies for these children and not to pay attention to the issues from the political aspects, but rather from the humanitarian aspects and voluntary work. The displaced child is suffering and our states are providing what they have, as they are, we need United Nations intervention. Based on international law, to support children with food, medicine, and livelihood, in addition to shelter, to cover 9 million displaced children, it is possible that there be support in coordination with the armed forces from within to deliver food to displaced children and refugees.
Cancer children suffer no less than children who face malnutrition?
We have made a consultancy on permanent diseases of the kidneys, cancer and heart, and have appointed three specialists in diseases. We consider the state to be preoccupied with the war. On our part, we are doing what is necessary to reduce the pressure on the executive branch and resolve issues with the competent authorities. During the month of May, we will be satisfied with medicines for cancer and dialysis. We are communicating with philanthropists and institutions. Official mission to accomplish the mission with the Ministry of Health and partners and we are doing more work to enhance humanitarian and voluntary work.
What are your plans to do your part towards children in light of the circumstances the country is going through?
We have an emergency plan for children with 7 basic items, including treatment, how to enhance education, shelter, and livelihood. The Zakat Chamber Foundation also works strongly for the most vulnerable children, then the poor. We, in our local and state-level administrations, work continuously on a clear plan through the disaster strategy as well. We work with the competent authorities in scientific advisory in this regard.
How do you conduct your consultations with external organizations concerned with childhood, and what is the amount of support that you have received in this regard since the start of the war, and does it cover your needs?

We need more support at the level of food and medicine. We call on the United Nations organizations and our agencies to work in accordance with international humanitarian law. The United Nations did not provide clear directives regarding continued work during the war. If we compare Gaza and Sudan, Sudan is no less than that. Aid must be stronger for clear reasons that it should not be double standards for the United Nations. Children need to cover their basic needs according to the map of needs. We need a quantity of medicines, food, and educational aids. We ask UNICEF for directions to work and to stop their side work.
What is the estimated need to reconcile the situation of Sudanese children?
The need continues, the children of Sudan are no less than 24 million children, most of whom need education, health, shelter and livelihood. We, through the emergency plan, send an appeal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the United Nations agencies to expedite food, logistical and material support for children in all states and to issue voices of condemnation of the rebel militia committing violations. This is a huge and severe threat to children in all states. The United Nations must have a better role than it has now. We hope that all agencies and concerned parties will move forcefully and coordinate clearly with us so that we give children their full rights. We also ask mercenaries from other countries to return to their countries so that graveyard should be Sudan, so that they do not harm children and the Sudanese social fabric, and the media should intensify its coverage of this for the sake of a safe child in the country.