Statement on the escalation of violence in Sudan 

SOS Children’s Villages expresses deep concern over continued escalation of violence in Sudan, particularly the horrifying reports emerging from the Darfur region, where thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes or lost their lives.   

We call for an immediate end to the attacks on civilians and unimpeded humanitarian access for the delivery of life-saving goods and services. We urge the international community to intensify their diplomatic and political efforts to end the conflict. With the massive displacement of civilians, heightened support is needed for local response to trace and reunite children with their family members.  

“Children across Sudan are living through one of the most devastating crises in the country’s history,” says Limia Ahmed, deputy national director of SOS Children’s Villages in Sudan. “Millions have been forced to flee their homes, and many have lost access to school, health care and safe shelter. Every day, children face growing risks of hunger, disease, and exploitation, while their sense of safety and normalcy continues to wear down.” 

SOS Children’s Villages in Sudan continues to serve children and families in need with basic needs, protection and psychosocial support, but humanitarian needs remain urgent:  

— 30 million (three in every five) people require urgent aid—the highest number of people in need ever recorded.  

— More than 21 million people face catastrophic levels of hunger. 

— More than 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes—more than half of them children—making it the world’s largest displacement crisis. 

And, as famine has been declared in North Darfur, children and families face disastrous hunger. 

As in all emergency contexts, children remain the most vulnerable.  

Many children have been separated from their families, and—without the protection of a loving adult—they suffer one or more grave violations:  

— Killing and maiming 

— Sexual violence 

— Abduction 

— Forced recruitment 

— Attacks against schools and hospitals 

— Denied humanitarian aid access 

We strongly condemn the ongoing hostilities and all forms of violence that continue to cause immense suffering to the Sudanese people. The global community must act with courage and urgency.   

Our local, trained emergency response teams continue to deliver care, shelter, education and psychosocial support to children and families who need us most—but we need your compassionate generosity.  

Children in Sudan need immediate aid to survive the devastating effects of hunger, violence, family separation and displacement. 

Your urgent gift to the Children in Crisis Fund or commitment as an emergency monthly donor can send the life-saving necessities—like safe homes, nutritious food, clean water, mental and physical health care and more—that children and families need to heal, reunite, rebuild and thrive after the terror of war.  

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