In Sudan, a third of children deprived of school

In Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world, nearly 7 million children are deprived of school and 12 million are at risk of seeing their education interrupted due to the deep crises that are rocking the country, the UN has warned. and a British NGO, Monday 12 September.

“Around 6.9 million girls and boys, or one in three children of school age, do not go to school in Sudan”said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Save the Children in a joint statement. “Nearly 12 million additional children will see their school year severely disrupted due to the lack of teachers, infrastructure and a learning environment conducive to their development”the aid organizations added.

In Sudan, children have for several years been facing multiple difficulties that prevent them from accessing education, especially in rural areas. But according to Unicef ​​and Save the Children, access to learning has been further compromised due to the deep socio-economic crisis the country has been going through since the October 2021 military coup, as well as conflicts. and the prolonged closure of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Girls are particularly vulnerable”

“Once children drop out of school, the chances of them returning are slim”the organizations warned, noting that “girls are particularly vulnerable”. “No country can afford to have a third of its children without basic literacy, numeracy or numeracy skills.said Mandeep O’Brien, UNICEF representative in Sudan. Education is not only a right, it is also a lifeline. »

Sudan, which emerged in 2019 from thirty years of dictatorship under Omar Al-Bashir, has been mired in the political and economic slump since the putsch led by the head of the army, Abdel Fattah Al-Bourhane. Inflation is close to 200% every month, the currency is in free fall and the price of bread has increased tenfold. In June, the UN said that 15 million Sudanese, nearly a third of the population, are at risk of food insecurity.