A Glimmer of Hope Comes to Red Sea State, Sudan

PORT SUDAN, 16 September 2024 – Today, nearly 140,000 children across Sudan’s Red Sea State started their new school year with the reopening of 600 schools in the state in northeastern Sudan.

“For millions of children in Sudan today, going to school and receiving a good education is a dream out of reach. The reopening of schools in Red Sea State signals hope,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Sudan, at the Alwihda Janoob school for girls, Port Sudan.

The school welcomed back children from the state, as well as children from elsewhere in Sudan displaced by the ongoing conflict. For these children in the war-torn country, schools are not only places to learn, but they also serve as a refuge, providing a protective environment and helping them cope with trauma. Education can also prevent harmful practices such as child labour and child marriage and protect adolescents from recruitment by armed groups.

“We are convinced that children’s education must continue regardless of the difficult circumstances and challenges. Students must be able to continue their studies and learning," said Lieutenant General Mustafa Muhammad Nour, the Governor of Red Sea State, at today’s opening ceremony.

More than 17 million of the 19 million school-aged children remain out of school in Sudan today. Hundreds of schools have been damaged since the beginning of the brutal conflict in March 2023, and many others used as shelters for internally displaced populations, constraining access to education in areas where schools have been partially opened.

UNICEF urges the Government and all education stakeholders to work collaboratively to find sustainable solutions to accommodate the needs of the internally displaced while fulfilling children’s right to education.

UNICEF is working to ensure uninterrupted learning and provide as many children as possible with access to structured learning. In Red Sea State, supported by the Government of Canada, UNICEF is providing safe learning spaces for host communities and internally displaced populations, supplying teaching and learning materials, building the capacity of teachers and facilitators and providing psychosocial support for children across the state.  

“While we embrace the beginning of the new school year in Red Sea State, we must collectively invest in children’s education and give more girls and boys in Sudan a chance to continue learning and reaching their full potential,” added Mr. Yett.  

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Notes to editors

Even before the conflict, seven million children, one in every three, were unable to access quality education or were dropping out.  

Today, more than 17 million children remain out of school and 90 percent of the schools are closed. Schools have partially opened in six States in Sudan. According to estimates, more than 50 per cent of teachers have not been paid their salaries for at least a year and 40 per cent of schools lack essential materials.