UNICEF, Save the Children and partners to restore learning for 328,000 conflict-affected children in Sudan

KHARTOUM, 4 May 2026 – UNICEF and Save the Children, with support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), launched today  the new Building Resilience to Improve Development and Growth in Education in Sudan (BRIDGES)  programme to help more than 328,000 conflict affected children return to learning across Sudan, as the country faces one of the world’s most severe education crises after more than three years of conflict.

Nearly half of all school buildings nationwide are no longer functioning, leaving at least eight million children out of school. Disruption has been especially acute in Darfur and Kordofan, where violence, displacement and repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure have severely damaged education systems.

Funded by GPE, the programme will restore access to education in some of the hardest hit areas while supporting longer term recovery of the national education system. Approximately 850 schools are expected to reopen across seven conflict affected states, supported by school grants, teaching and learning materials, and essential furniture. 

To address widespread learning loss, more than 9,000 teachers will be supported to deliver remedial education, while nearly 1,800 safe learning spaces will provide alternative options for children still unable to access formal schools

“For millions of children across Sudan, education has been disrupted for far too long,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan. “Helping children return to learning is not only essential for their education, but for their protection, stability and future at a time when the impact of conflict continues to be felt in every aspect of their lives.”

The new programme supports both immediate learning needs and longer term system strengthening, helping to lay the foundations for a more resilient and inclusive education system.

“At a time when millions of children in Sudan have had their education disrupted, this programme represents a vital investment in their future. For every day a child remains out of school increases the risk of exploitation, child labour and lasting harm. This is a critical step toward ensuring children can safely return to learning and regain opportunities that have unjustly been taken from them, “said Francesco Lanino, Deputy Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan.

“In the face of an extraordinary crisis, Sudan’s educators and communities are keeping hope alive through learning,” said Belay Addise, GPE Regional Manager for Eastern and Southern Africa. “Through BRIDGES, GPE is proud to stand with UNICEF, Save the Children and partners across Sudan to help more children get back into safe, quality education—and to support the long-term recovery of the education system.”

In addition to direct support for schools, teachers and students, the programme will strengthen education planning and coordination at both federal and state levels. This includes improving Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), enhancing data collection and use for decision making, and supporting the development of a national education workforce strategy to improve teacher recruitment, deployment, professional development and retention—particularly in crisis affected areas.

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Notes to editors
The programme will be implemented from 2026 to 2028 by a consortium of UNICEF, Save the Children, Plan International and the Norwegian Refugee Council, with UNICEF and Save the Children serving as Grant Agents, in close coordination with GPE, UNESCO and the Local Education Group in Sudan.