Sudan: Hundreds of Children Flee Without Their Families Amid Latest Wave of Fighting
Citizen Follow-up Reports
Approximately 500 unaccompanied and separated children have arrived in the Blue Nile and Gedaref states over a span of six weeks, as violent clashes escalate, forcing more people to flee in search of safety after 16 months of conflict, according to “Save the Children.”
The escalation of violence in Sennar State’s capital, Sennar, on June 29 led to widespread battles that displaced around 725,000 people, with more than half of them estimated to be children, according to data from the International Organization for Migration.
“Save the Children” reported that families are fleeing to the Blue Nile and Gedaref states, with a growing number of children arriving without their parents. Many of these families have been displaced for the second or third time, having initially sought refuge in Sennar in Sennar State after fleeing from Khartoum and Al Jazirah states earlier in the conflict.
Child protection teams from “Save the Children” in the Blue Nile and Gedaref states recorded at least 451 children between June 29 and August 14 who were forced to embark on a perilous journey in search of safety without their families—the highest number recorded in such a short time since the conflict began in April 2023.
At least 60,000 internally displaced persons have arrived in the Blue Nile state, residing in more than 109 gathering sites and schools, which may delay the reopening of schools in September.
Continuous heavy rains and flooding are exacerbating the suffering of families and children fleeing the fighting, as muddy and impassable roads make it difficult to deliver essential supplies, including food and medicine, to those in need.
More than 16 months of conflict have resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands of children, forced many into labor, destroyed the health and education systems, disrupted the food system, and created the world’s worst displacement crisis for children, with 6.7 million children forced to leave their homes.
Mary Lubol, Director of Humanitarian Affairs for “Save the Children” in Sudan, stated that they are receiving at least nine children daily in internally displaced persons camps in the Blue Nile and Gedaref states without their parents. She added, “During my visit to one of the camps in Gedaref last month, I saw children arriving at reception centers utterly exhausted, with many suffering from malnutrition after harrowing journeys.”
She warned that children separated from their families are at greater risk of violence and exploitation, including trafficking, recruitment into armed groups, and sexual and gender-based violence.
