The ongoing conflict in Sudan, which erupted on April 15, 2023, has displaced more than 7 million children, according to new data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday.
This staggering figure highlights the devastating toll the war has taken on Sudan's youngest and most vulnerable population.
Children now account for 52% of the approximately 14 million Sudanese people who have been displaced either within the country or across its borders into neighboring nations.
As a result, Sudan has become the country with the largest child displacement crisis in the world.
A recent report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warns that the conflict is endangering the future of an entire generation.
Around 24 million children in Sudan are at risk of losing their fundamental rights to life, safety, education, health, and development.
The UN's Committee on the Rights of the Child has called for an immediate end to the severe violations being committed against children, including their recruitment into armed groups and exploitation on the battlefield.
The committee noted that thousands of children have been killed since the start of the war, with alarming reports of children being raped and deprived of essential resources, in clear violation of international law. These violations extend to children's economic and social rights, further exacerbating their suffering.
The committee also highlighted a sharp increase in the number of children killed or subjected to sexual violence, which is being used as a weapon of war.
Children face heightened risks due to widespread recruitment into the armed forces in various regions across Sudan. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has reported that hundreds of children are dying from preventable diseases as a result of inadequate access to healthcare.
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