19 Million Children.. For What Fault Have They Been Affected
Yusef Siraj
(-) Catastrophic figures and alarming warnings have been revealed by reports from international organizations, after half a year of war in Sudan, which is entering its seventh month, without either party to the conflict caring about the large consequences that have resulted from the complete destruction of the countrys assets, exceeding its present state to an unknown destiny threatening future generations.
Reports and statistics from specialized organizations have indicated that about 19 million children in Sudan are currently outside the education system, without safety and psychological support, including 14 million who do not receive basic services for survival. They warned that more than three million children under the age of five are at risk of cholera and acute diarrhea, in addition to the suffering of 700,000 from severe malnutrition, and are exposed to death.!!
(-) More than five million Sudanese children are losing access to schools, according to reports from UNICEF and Save the Children, due to violence and insecurity in their areas, where more than 400 schools have closed their doors in the areas affected by the widening scope of fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The stubbornness of the conflicting parties and their insistence on the war option will turn the lives of Sudanese into hell, increasing the suffering that has been ongoing since the outbreak of battles in mid-April of the past year, which has forced about seven million to displacement and forced refuge. The majority of them now reside in schools in the states that have been turned into shelters and lack basic services.
(-) Despite the extremely complex situations and suffering, the presidency of the Sudanese Council of Ministers surprised the Sudanese by issuing a decision that observers described as not well thought out, which provides for the resumption of studies in schools and universities during the current October..!! The Teachers Committee considered it a pathway to divide Sudan and reveals the official authorities lack of awareness of the complex problems surrounding the educational process due to the repercussions of the war and its intense outcomes.
(-) It is not hidden from those following the situations that a series of challenges and obstacles hinder the educational process, and at the forefront of these challenges is the non-payment of salaries and entitlements to teachers, in addition to the displacement of thousands of students and their families to states that are not considered their original homeland. Additionally, many have migrated and sought refuge outside Sudan, including naturally, the teachers themselves.
(-) Save the Children described what is happening in Sudan as the largest internal displacement crisis witnessed by the world, and pointed out that more than five million children found themselves trapped in the active conflict zones.
The reality indicates that Sudan is on the verge of becoming the home to the worst educational crisis in the world, if international pressure fails to push the conflicting Sudanese parties to end the war through a peaceful political solution, followed by comprehensive plans to rebuild what the damned war has destroyed.
