John, this month marks two devastating years of civil war in Sudan, which have left 30.4 million people — half of whom are children — in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
I’ve witnessed firsthand how this crisis is a nightmare for children. It’s the world’s largest child displacement emergency, with millions of kids facing extreme hunger, violence and disease.
Children are particularly vulnerable, with 3.6 million suffering from acute malnutrition — including many in Central Darfur, where famine like conditions are spreading.
In the past year, over 10 million kids in Sudan have lived within 3 miles of active conflict zones, exposing them to gunfire, shelling and other deadly violence. Adding to the devastation, more than 3.4 million children are at risk of contracting deadly diseases due to the collapse of healthcare systems. I hope you will take a moment to learn more about how this crisis is affecting children in Sudan.
In the midst of so much tragedy, I still see hope. Hope from the resilience of families who are affected by the conflict. And hope from the life-changing impact of supporters like you.
With support from our generous donor community, Save the Children is providing vital aid to children and families, including clean water, sanitation, food, shelter, health care, child protection and education services.
Ismael*, the 12-year-old boy pictured above, is just one of the many children who’ve witnessed the horrors of this conflict. When violence erupted near his home, he was terrified.
His mother, Rana, described their harrowing night: “When I [came home] he hugged me and sobbed…We thought [the violence] would stop, but it kept going all night. The next morning, the fighting did not stop.”
Ismael’s mother, Rana, holds his sister, Sara, in their room at the displacement center.
Their family fled to a center for displaced families run by Save the Children, where they received essential supplies and Ismael and his sister could play with other children in a child-friendly space.
Rana says they’ve been deeply impacted by the violence they witnessed. They jump at loud noises and often space out – but she’s relieved they have a place to find joy again.
Ismael’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating toll conflict is taking on children. With no end in sight, we remain committed to ensuring children have what they need to survive and heal from this crisis.
Thank you for your unwavering dedication to children in crisis all over the world.
