Kathmandu— More than 8 million school-age children in Sudan remain out of the classroom as the country's civil war enters its 1,210th day, according to a warning issued by the United Nations. The conflict, which erupted between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, has devastated the nation's educational infrastructure and left millions of children without access to learning.

Educational Infrastructure Under Siege

The scale of destruction to the educational system is immense, particularly in the Darfur region where nearly three-quarters of schools have been damaged, destroyed, or rendered unusable since fighting erupted in April 2023. Beyond physical destruction, schools have become targets or military hubs; the UN has documented more than 67 attacks on schools and over 154 instances of schools being used for military purposes since 2024.

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed cautioned that these figures likely understate the true toll of the violence. She noted that five out of every six children are currently out of school, as parents often choose to keep their children at home because it is the only place where they can remain safe.

A Generational Crisis

The human cost of the conflict is falling disproportionately on women and children, who Mohammed said suffer most despite having no say in the fighting. The UN official warned that Sudan is losing an entire generation to the war, noting that the country has already lost a generation to previous conflicts.

In addition to the lack of access to classrooms, the teaching workforce is in crisis. More than half of Sudan's teachers have gone unpaid, though many continue to work despite the lack of compensation.

Humanitarian and Human Rights Catastrophe

The educational crisis is part of a broader humanitarian disaster. Approximately 15 million people have been displaced across the country, and nearly 33 million people—more than half of whom are children—are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who visited Sudan earlier this year, described the situation as a "human rights catastrophe unfolding in real time," citing accounts of mass killings and gang rape. While the UN and its partners have successfully brought more than a million Sudanese children back into some form of learning this year, officials say this remains far short of the scale required to address the crisis.

The conflict continues to escalate, leaving millions in need of urgent humanitarian aid and educational support.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.