UN Launches $22 Million Fund to Help Displaced Sudanese Children Return to School
Khartoum, 24 August 2026
Today, the UN’s Education Cannot Wait fund launched a $22 million programme to help 200,000 Sudanese children resume learning after some missed nearly 500 days of school.
A Devastating Crisis for Sudan’s Youth
Since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023, the humanitarian toll has been catastrophic, leaving at least 14 million people displaced and 33.7 million in desperate need of humanitarian assistance [4]. For the nation’s youth, the disruption to daily life is profound. Out of Sudan’s estimated 17 million school-age children, approximately 8 million are currently out of school, meaning that 47.059% of the country’s school-age population has had their education halted [1][3][4]. Many of these children have already missed nearly 500 days of formal instruction [1][3][4].
The Darfur Education Emergency
The educational infrastructure has faced severe degradation, particularly in conflict-heavy areas like Darfur. A mid-year 2026 UNICEF update highlights that 81% of schools in the Darfur region are closed, and 70% of local children are not attending school [1]. Furthermore, approximately 5.8% of the region’s schools are currently being utilised as emergency shelters for displaced families, all while educational facilities across the country have faced direct attacks throughout 2026 [1].
Strategic Funding and Targeted Support
To address this educational vacuum, Education Cannot Wait (ECW)—the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies—announced a new $22 million, three-year investment on Monday, 24 August 2026 [1][3]. This funding serves as crucial seed money against a total required programme budget of $39 million, leaving an initial funding gap of 17 million USD [4]. To ensure adaptability in a volatile environment, the financial structure includes a $5 million crisis modifier reserved specifically for rapid emergency responses to sudden climate disasters or escalating conflicts [3][4].
Prioritising Vulnerable Learners
The three-year programme is strategically designed to support displaced children, refugees, and host communities across West Darfur, South Kordofan, and Gedaref [2][3]. The initiative establishes strict demographic benchmarks, mandating that at least 60% of the targeted 200,000 beneficiaries must be girls, and 10% must be children with disabilities [1][3][4]. In addition to establishing safe formal and non-formal learning environments, the programme prioritises mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to help children process the trauma of ongoing displacement [2][4].
Local Partnerships and Systemic Recovery
Implementation of this critical educational lifeline will be led by Save the Children in Sudan, operating in close coordination with Plan International Sudan, LM International, and local civil society organisations including the Alsalam Organisation for Relief and Development (AORD) and Sadagaat [2][4]. Reflecting a commitment to sustainable, locally-driven humanitarian aid, nearly 48% of the total programme budget is allocated directly to these national and local partners [2][4]. This investment also aligns with ECW’s broader global campaign, ‘Hope Starts Here’, which seeks to mobilise $600 million over the next four years to provide education to 10 million children affected by severe global crises [2][3].