As the conflict in Sudan rages on, children are enduring the most devastating impacts, with millions displaced within the country and across its borders. Sudan has become the epicenter of the world’s largest child displacement crisis, with over 4.6 million children forced to flee their homes since April 2023. Nearly a million of these children have sought refuge in neighboring countries such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.

The situation is dire. More than 24.7 million people—half of Sudan’s population—are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including nearly 14 million children. These children are facing extreme hardship, violence, trauma, and uncertainty, threatening not only their future but the stability of the entire region.

Even before this crisis, Sudan was among the worst places for children, with alarming rates of malnutrition and disease. This year alone, an estimated 3.7 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, with 730,000 at risk of severe, life-threatening conditions. The collapse of basic services has led to a surge in preventable diseases like measles and malaria, while millions lack access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare. Education is also under attack, with 17 million children out of school, placing their futures at serious risk.

In response to this humanitarian catastrophe, the Global Nonviolence Organization Freemuslim urgently appeals to the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to save the children of Sudan. The organization’s latest reports echo UNICEF’s findings that 14 million children are in desperate need of aid, with the ongoing civil war worsening the food crisis and threatening the health and lives of countless children.

Moujtaba Akhwand, Director of Freemuslim, emphasizes the critical need to find innovative ways to improve education for children and young adults, particularly women who have been denied access to higher education. He stresses that children deserve a safe environment to play, learn, and grow. Schools must be violence-free and welcoming to facilitate a nurturing learning environment.

Freemuslim calls on all OIC countries to respond to this urgent appeal by providing aid to the Sudanese people and working towards an end to the civil war. The conflicting parties must be urged to negotiate and prioritize the well-being of the nation’s children, whose futures hang in the balance.