2-8 August 2026 Sudan News Summary: Education sector under fire, looming famine in North Darfur

9 Aug

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has revealed that 67 attacks on schools in Sudan have been documented, while 154 instances of the military use of educational facilities have been reported.
Numerous schools in Khartoum, El Gezira, and the Greater Kordofan region have been destroyed or repurposed as military barracks, while some have also been used as shelters for displaced persons.
The Darfur region has suffered the most severe impact on its education sector, with data from the Education Cluster published in January 2026 indicating that 97% of schools in North Darfur had ceased operations.
Teachers in the states of Khartoum, El Gezira, and Kassala recently went on strike to protest low salaries, a move that was subsequently called off following government pledges to address the issue of wages.

Local residents and emergency committees in North Darfur State have warned of a worsening food crisis and the region's drift toward widespread famine.
In a report published on Tuesday, the Al-Maliha Countryside Emergency Room stated that more than 270,000 citizens and displaced persons are facing the threat of hunger and thirst.
The Emergency Room added that rains expected in the coming weeks could isolate the area and close roads, hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The suspension of supplies from Libya and the Northern State has paralysed commercial activity, while goods arriving from Nyala have become prohibitively expensive and economically unviable.
Deteriorating living conditions have driven a number of families to leave the town, while delayed rainfall has prevented the cultivation of crops, further exacerbating the risk of food insecurity.

Bill Greenwood