From invisible to seen

In Sudan, millions of families have fled their homes, leaving behind most of the belongings including personal identification. During conflicts, the lack of this simple but essential document- a birth certificate- can block access to lifesaving services like education, healthcare, food relief, emergency support. 

What does a birth certificate mean for children? 

Rasha, a displaced mother of two, explains while waiting in the queue “It is proof that they exist. It takes you from being unknown to known.”

Beyond proof of existence, birth certificates protect children against exploitation, including trafficking, illegal adoption, child labour, child marriage and early military recruitment. Broadly, ensuring every child in Sudan is identified, counted, and provided with a birth certificate is critical for safeguarding their identity and protection, especially during ongoing conflict and displacement.

UNICEF’s birth registration campaign - ensuring children are counted

To address these challenges, UNICEF and its partners have launched a four-month birth registration catch-up campaign in Red Sea State. The initiative targets children aged  0-18 years across refugee, displaced, and host communities, bringing registration services close to the people in need. 
 
At the Ibrahim Balal School, registration center, parents and caregivers line up early to ensure their children are registered.
Rasha is among them, eager   to register her two daughters, Rital and Raneen. She heard about the campaign in the neighbourhood and felt immediate relief.

“Birth registration is proof that one exists.” She says. 

“In Sudan, it’s a steppingstone to obtaining a national identity card, a passport, and many other opportunities. It is the starting point and a lifeline for identity and protection, especially my children.” 

Previously, Rasha struggled to complete the registration of her eldest daughter due to a lengthy and complicated process, worsened by the ongoing war.  With this campaign, she can now complete the process for free.  

“If anything happened to us, the certificates would provide information about who we are, where we come from and if we fled to another country, we would be able to come back home easily,” she stressed.

Simplifying the process

Previously, obtaining a birth certificate was costly and burdensome, requiring court visits with family witnesses. Now, with the campaign, registration teams- including a Judge- are on site to streamline the process, reducing it to just three to five days. 

“With the war, it would be very difficult for our people to go through the normal process,” says Muzamil Abdulrageeb, a Judge.

“Without certificates, children cannot access critical services like education.” 

The birth certificate, my child’s future

Adeela, mother of 6-month-old Khalid, fled Sennar while pregnant and delivered her son safely in Port Sudan. Now, she waits patiently to register him.

“Without his birth certificate, my child loses all his rights,” she says.

Adeela understands the consequences firsthand. Years ago, she struggled to access social services and was denied aid and a high school certificate because she had no birth certificate that was required to obtain a national identity card. This motivates her to ensure Khalid’s registration is completed. 

“With this certificate, my child has an identity and will not be denied services,” she says.

“And if anything happened to any of us, his parents, the certificate would have the details.”

The campaign that began in Port Sudan, will extend to all the seven localities in Red Sea state, where displacement levels are high. At the Ibrahim Balal School alone, over 100 children are registered daily-100 new identities created, and children protected.

Despite the Sudan Child Act 2010 mandating birth registration as a right, many children were denied this service before the war. This campaign gives parents a chance to claim that right for their children.

“We are happy with the turn up and more so, this campaign is reaching children where they are and simplifying the process for the already vulnerable families,” emphasized Ahmed Osman, the programme Coordinator for the campaign. 

UNICEF also integrates birth registration to its Mother and Cash Transfer plus (MCCT+) programme. Through the programme, pregnant and lactating mothers receive unconditional cash grants and linked to critical health services to support the growth and development of their children during the first 1,000 days of life.