Record Number of Crimes Against Children in Sudan
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Save the Children has reported a sixfold increase in the number of children killed, injured, or subjected to other severe violations in Sudan in 2023, reaching a record high as the devastating conflict cripples the country. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for global action to address the escalating crisis.
In a statement released on Monday, the international NGO highlighted that at least 1,721 grave violations were committed against 1,526 children in 2023, a substantial rise from the 306 violations recorded in 2022, according to the latest United Nations data.
The documented cases in the UNs annual report on children and armed conflict included the deaths of over 480 children, the maiming of 764 children, and the recruitment of more than 200 children into the conflict. Additionally, at least 114 girls were reported to have been raped or subjected to sexual violence.
This marks the highest number of recorded violations in the country since the UN began systematically collecting data on the six grave violations against children in conflict in 2006.
However, the organization noted that these figures, though staggering, represent only a fraction of the actual number of grave violations committed against children in Sudan last year.
Since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, children and their families have faced increasing violence, hunger, and displacement.
An analysis by Save the Children in collaboration with the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) earlier this year found that one in every two children was within five kilometers of the frontlines of the conflict over the past year, exposing them to gunfire, shelling, airstrikes, and other forms of violence.
Simultaneously, more than 4 million children have been forced to flee their homes, and increasing food scarcity has resulted in an estimated 5 million people, mostly children under the age of five, suffering from acute malnutrition.
Dr. Arif Noor, Save the Children’s Country Director in Sudan, stated:
"With a significant number of violations going unreported, we know this figure is just the tip of the iceberg. The substantial increase compared to previous years proves that conflict invariably destroys childrens lives, and it must end immediately."
He added, "Beyond the killing and maiming of children, more than 200 children have been forcibly recruited into armed groups, and there have been horrific reports of mass executions and rape—including of children."
Dr. Noor called on the international community to take urgent political action to address this crisis.
"This conflict demands more than just humanitarian aid—it requires a political solution. World leaders must do everything in their power to find solutions to end the fighting and work directly with the parties involved to ensure they adhere to their obligations under international law. The warring parties must take all possible precautions to prevent grave violations against children."
