UNICEF backs schooling and protection for children amid conflict in Sudan and Mali

In Sudan, more than 1,000 displaced children are attending basic‑education classes in the Al‑Hishan camp, where the Sudanese Education Coalition and UNICEF have set up temporary schools. The conflict that began in 2023 has affected an estimated 25 million children, with many having endured prolonged periods without schooling, exposure to violence and a rise in sexual abuse cases.

In Mali, UNICEF issued an urgent appeal after a series of attacks on April 25 in Bamako, Mopti, Gao, Kati and Kidal left civilian children among the dead and injured. The organization highlighted the jeopardy to schools and health centres and called for increased protection for children caught in the violence.