UNICEF to partner with Germany to provide safe spaces for 240,000 conflict-affected children in Sudan

PORT SUDAN, 24 April 2025 – UNICEF, with a new € 30 million contribution from the Government of Germany, will establish 130 new child-friendly spaces to support 240,000 conflict-affected children in Sudan.

In these spaces, called Makannas, UNICEF will offer often highly traumatized children an opportunity to feel safe and protected, receive counselling, learn, make friends and play. Through an integrated, community-based approach, UNICEF will link learning opportunities with specialized child protection services and basic water, sanitation and hygiene services. UNICEF’s innovative e-learning modules will also be used to help children whose learning has been interrupted to catch up with their peers.

"Education is a lifeline in times of crisis. Through the expansion of the Makanna programme, we are not only providing learning opportunities but also critical protection and mental health support for conflict-affected children to help them heal, recover, and build a better future," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan.

In Sudan, only 13 per cent of the country’s 19 million school-aged children are enrolled or regularly attend school. Hundreds of schools have been damaged since the beginning of the conflict, and many others have been used as shelters for internally displaced populations, constraining access to education in areas where schools have been partially opened. Majority of schools lack education supplies as well as skilled personnel.

“The future for the children in Sudan looks very bleak. With this new contribution, we reaffirm Germany’s unwavering commitment to stand with them. The Makanna project is a key investment in the resilience of Sudanese children and the communities in which they live,” said Alena Kern, Head of Development Cooperation of the Germany Embassy.

The Government of Germany is one of UNICEF’s top donors to support vulnerable children and families in Sudan. The new contribution from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW Development Bank, brings Germany’s total contribution for the Makanna programme to EUR 50 million.

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Notes for editors 
The Makanna programme aims to reach approximately 460,000 children and their families across Northern, River Nile, Kassala and Gedaref states by December 2026.

During the ongoing first phase of the programme, UNICEF is establishing 85 Makannas, supporting approximately 220,000 children and their families in Northern and River Nile states. The second phase will establish 130 Makannas, reaching a further 240,000 children and their families.

Each Makanna includes adolescent clubs and governance committees, bringing together internally displaced persons and host community members to strengthen social cohesion and ownership of the programme.

Even before the conflict, seven million children, one in every three, were unable to access quality education or were dropping out. Currently, nearly 17 million school-aged children remain out of school.

Multimedia materials available here: https://weshare.unicef.org/Folder/2AM4089H29TC