Presenter warns attacks on schools are costing a generation of Sudanese children their education

A presenter at a United Nations Security Council meeting said the conflict has disrupted schooling for at least 8,000,000 school-aged children and warned that attacks and military use of education facilities are eroding children's access to qualifications. "Since 2024, the United Nations has verified more than 67 attacks on schools across Sudan, while over a 154 instances of military use of schools have been reported," the presenter said, adding that these documented instances likely undercount the true scale.

The speaker said Darfur has seen about three-quarters of its schools damaged, destroyed or rendered nonfunctional and that the disruption threatens the validity of national examinations. "Parallel exams are being planned in the five Darfur states, raising real concerns about whether those certificates would be recognized," the presenter said, urging steps to ensure unified, nationally recognized examinations so students are not left without access to higher education or employment.