All Parties Must Act Immediately to Save Children

More than two and a half years of continuous conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has trigger...

More than two and a half years of continuous conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered the world's worst humanitarian and protection emergencies, with children being particularly affected.

Following the violent capture of El Fasher on 26 October, after a grueling 500-day inhumane siege and subsequent accounts of brutalities by the RSF, with comparable dangers faced by children and their families in Western Kordofan, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, condemns these extensive and organized violations of children's rights within a worsening humanitarian emergency. She calls on all conflict parties to immediately cease the intentional targeting of children, including through sexual violence, kidnapping, imprisonment, assaults on schools and hospitals, and large-scale forced migration, which deprives them of safety and security.

The most confirmed breaches in recent months involved the killing and injuring of children, with rape and sexual violence, as well as abduction, coming next.

"Sudanese children are caught in one of the most perilous situations globally today. They require safety, protection, food, and medical aid—immediately, not at a later time," stated the Special Representative. "I urge the RSF and the SAF to cease attacking civilians, including children, in this harsh conflict and uphold their responsibilities under international humanitarian and human rights law, while facilitating secure, swift, and unrestricted access for humanitarian efforts to reach those in need, including the 15 million children requiring aid," she added.

Millions of children in Sudan are currently experiencing starvation and severe food shortages, displacement, lack of access to education, and a high exposure to violence. Famine has been confirmed in El Fasher and Kadugli, with 20 other areas at significant risk of famine. Verified data shows an increase in child deaths due to hunger and limited access to essential services. Children escaping violence through unsafe routes face additional dangers such as sexual abuse, kidnapping, forced recruitment, detention, harassment, and theft. Reports from the region indicate that hospitals, schools, and critical civilian infrastructure remain affected, making children more vulnerable. 16.5 million children are out of school nationwide.

The Special Representative is pleased that talks have started with the Sudanese Armed Forces and that an Action Plan to stop and prevent serious violations against children is being created, while urging for more extensive measures. She supports the UN Secretary-General's appeal to all parties for an immediate halt to fighting.

"It is critical to take action to stop and prevent serious violations against children. All the parties involved in the conflict should work with the United Nations to implement effective and life-saving steps to safeguard children, including by creating action plans," she emphasized.

"Children in Sudan have the right to grow, study, and flourish in a peaceful environment," she said. "If no urgent steps are taken, the lives and future of an entire generation are in serious danger," she added.

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For more information:

Ariane Lignier, Communications Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict (ariane.lignier@un.org)

Fabienne Vinet, Officer in Political Affairs, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict: vinet@un.org

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Tagged: Sudan, Children and Youth, Conflict, Peace and Security, Arms and Military Affairs, East Africa

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