New York, 17 January 2025 –
The alarming surge in violence caused by the rapid escalation of hostilities in Sudan has led to a detrimental impact on children. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), Virginia Gamba, calls attention to the plight of children affected by the ongoing violence and strongly condemned the recent attacks in Khartoum State.
“Grave violations have risen to shocking levels since the conflict began. Hostilities must cease immediately, and all parties, particularly the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights laws,” stated Virginia Gamba. ‘Furthermore, I am gravely concerned about continued intercommunal violence, including ethnically motivated attacks and the mass displacement of children’, she added.
The conflict in Sudan has exposed children to harrowing levels of violence and exploitation, leaving them physically and emotionally scarred. Many have been recruited into armed groups, stripped of their childhood, and thrust into roles as fighters, spies, or laborers. Girls face heightened risks of sexual violence, with reports of abduction and abuse emerging from conflict-affected areas. Children are not only caught in the crossfire but are also deliberately targeted, including through the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, with attacks on schools, hospitals, and displacement camps robbing them of safety and security.
Children, including those displaced, are enduring severe hunger, with famine conditions confirmed in at least five areas. Millions lack access to essential needs such as food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, and education. The conflict is having catastrophic consequences for children, with humanitarian efforts severely disrupted by security risks, bureaucratic obstacles, and damaged infrastructure.
The Special Representative emphasized that achieving peace in Sudan is the only sustainable way to protect children who have endured years of armed conflict and called on neighboring countries to keep their borders open to those seeking international protection or returning to their countries of origin. “All parties in Sudan must place the rights and needs of children at the center of efforts to achieve peace” Virginia Gamba urged.
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For more information, please contact:
Ariane Lignier, Communications Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict: ariane.lignier@un.org
Fabienne Vinet, Political Affairs Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict: vinet@un.org