Sudan Events – Agencies
Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has warned that Sudanese children are facing catastrophic conditions, including extreme violence, rape, malnutrition, and famine, along with severe violations of their fundamental rights. She emphasized that the nearly two-year-long conflict has resulted in “one of the most devastating humanitarian crises in the world.”
During her briefing to the UN Security Council on Thursday, Russell revealed that 16 million Sudanese children require humanitarian assistance. Additionally, 1.3 million children under the age of five are living in famine-affected areas, while another three million are at risk of deadly disease outbreaks.
She also highlighted that approximately 16.5 million children are now out of school, putting “an entire generation” at risk.
The UN official expressed deep concern over alarming reports documenting severe violations against children, including their recruitment by armed groups, as well as their exposure to exploitation and sexual violence.
Between June and December 2024 alone, more than 900 serious violations against children were documented. However, Russell stressed that these figures do not fully capture the scale of the crisis.
