Sudan crisis
Right now, Sudan is facing the world’s largest child displacement crisis.
Your donation can help us scale up our response and bring much needed relief to those struggling with hunger and displacement, by supporting children and their families with safe shelter and lifesaving aid.
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Photo: Fatna, 4, at the transit centre in Renk. © Plan International / Peter Caton
The crisis in Sudan
In April last year, conflict erupted in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and since then, close to eight million people have been driven from their homes, seeking refuge, three million of whom are children¹.
Almost 25 million people are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance – close to the equivalent of Australia’s entire population. 14 million of these are children², and five million people are on the brink of famine.
The situation is truly dire. Hunger, violence and targeted mass atrocities have given way to mass graves, and survivors are struggling to hold on.
Ethiopia, Chad, South Sudan, Egypt and the Central African Republic have taken in refugees but with many of these countries facing their own challenges, resources and funds are limited³.
As we see in most crises, women and girls bear the brunt of conflict. Horrific reports of kidnapping and sexual violence, including gang rapes, have been reported since the conflict began in Sudan, and we can only imagine how many women and girls have already been subjected to such brutality one year on – more than four million are currently at risk of sexual violence in Sudan, and countless others have had their lives stolen from them⁴.
Protecting children is our priority
Millions of children are witnessing the horror of this conflict. The escalated violence will take a heavy toll on the mental health of children, young people and their caregivers.
We’re particularly concerned about the safety of girls, young women and unaccompanied children, who are increasingly vulnerable to gender-based violence, exploitation, abuse and human trafficking.
DON’T LET THEIR VOICES GO UNHEARD
Sudan’s children caught in conflict
10-year-old Adan is just one of the three million children who have been displaced by the crisis. Both her parents have passed away, (her father was killed in the conflict last year) and she is living with her grandmother under a canopy of old clothes and fabric, within a transit centre in neighbouring South Sudan.
We do not have shelter, we sleep on the floor, on a mat given to us by a neighbour. We do not have any food. We normally beg our food from our neighbours but they also do not have enough. I want the war to stop I can go back home. I used to sleep on a bed, watch cartoons on a tv, but now all of these things have changed. It is very difficult here. I miss my life.In Renk where she is living, more people arrive every day, but the transit centre is over capacity and more shelters are desperately needed.
Photo: Adan, 10, is currently living in the Renk transit centre. © Plan International / Peter Caton
How we’re responding
Together with local partners, we’ve been building shelters, distributing cash assistance, clean water, food and other essential supplies, as well as providing child protection, psychosocial support and education.
South Sudan
In Renk, Plan South Sudan has:
- Constructed five temporary shelters and three semi-permanent shelters which, to date, have hosted a total of 22,700 refugees
- Distributed non-food items like soap, buckets, mosquito nets, water treating tablets, and sleeping mats to 11,280 individuals
- Provided cash assistance to 4,678 individuals
- Reached 16,372 individuals with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services
- Provided child-friendly spaces for children and life skill sessions for 506 children.
Emergency response in Malakal
After the Sudan crisis began in April 2023, Plan South Sudan immediately began responding to the needs of the people that arrived in Malakal from May 2023 to date by:
- Providing cash assistance to 175 unaccompanied and separated children
- Distributing 296 dignity kits to girls and young women
- Reaching 16,436 people through awareness messaging on child exploitation, early child marriage and positive parenting
- Providing 8,563 children with psychosocial support and recreational activities
Photo: Wyalam, 24, with her two children. © Plan International / Peter Caton
PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING SUPPORT TO FAMILIES
Sara Sinada, Program Manager, Plan International Australia
- As a humanitarian and a human being, it would be an understatement to say that I am deeply saddened by the situation in Sudan.
The devastating conflict taking place at the moment has had catastrophic humanitarian impacts and infrastructure damage of epic proportions no less than the recent conflict in Ukraine. It has also touched me and my family at a very personal level. It’s truly surreal, one day you’re a humanitarian worker, the next day your direct family members are IDPs (internally displaced persons) and refugees seeking safety.
As someone who cares about supporting people especially children in crisis, I am reaching out to ask for your solidarity and support.
Latest updates
Struggle and resilience of people fleeing violence in Sudan
Struggle and resilience of people fleeing violence in Sudan
World Refugee Day: As the crisis in Sudan escalates, hundreds of thousands of girls and young women are at risk of gender-based violence and exploitation
World Refugee Day: As the crisis in Sudan escalates, hundreds of thousands of girls and young women are at risk of gender-based violence and exploitation
