Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in crises, has announced a new US$22 million multi-year investment to restore safe, quality and inclusive education for nearly 200,000 crisis-affected children and adolescents across West Darfur, South Kordofan and Gedaref, according to a press release issued on 24 August 2026 from Geneva. The announcement follows a high-level mission to Sudan, during which ECW Director Maysa Jalbout met with children, teachers, communities and education partners affected by more than three years of armed conflict and displacement. The three-year program aims to help children return to learning while supporting the recovery of Sudan’s education system. It comes as Sudan continues to face the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis. ECW also recently launched Hope Starts Here, a global campaign to mobilize US$600 million to reach 10 million children.
Since conflict erupted in April 2023, some 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes, while 33.7 million people now require humanitarian assistance. At least 8 million children – nearly half of Sudan’s 17 million school-age children – remain out of school. Across the country, large numbers of schools remain non-operational. Millions of children have endured prolonged disruptions to their education, with some missing nearly 500 days of learning. The new investment seeks to address these challenges through targeted, multi-year support.
The three-year program will reach those left furthest behind, including internally displaced children, refugees and vulnerable host communities, with at least 60% girls and 10% children with disabilities. It will establish safe formal and non-formal learning environments, provide mental health and psychosocial support, and strengthen teacher capacity. The program will also improve access to quality learning materials and address barriers facing girls and children with disabilities. A US$5 million crisis modifier will enable rapid responses to emerging emergencies and climate-related shocks. Implementation will be led by Save the Children, in partnership with Plan International, LM International, and local partners AORD and Sadagaat.
“Education in Sudan has been interrupted by conflict, displacement and unimaginable hardship. Yet it remains one of the most powerful tools we have to protect millions of children, restore hope and support recovery. This investment is about much more than reopening classrooms. It is about supporting children to regain a sense of safety and normalcy while strengthening education systems that can continue serving communities through crisis and into recovery. Sudan’s children cannot wait,” said Maysa Jalbout, Director of Education Cannot Wait.
Localization is central to the program, with nearly 48% of the budget going to national and local partners. ECW’s US$22 million provides seed funding towards a total program requirement of US$39 million, with partners continuing to mobilize additional resources. The Sudan investment comes days after the launch of Hope Starts Here, ECW’s campaign to reach 10 million crisis-affected children with education over the next four years. ECW’s latest global estimates show that 258 million school-aged children and adolescents across 87 countries now have their education disrupted by crises. The campaign will mobilize partners ahead of ECW’s High-Level Replenishment Conference in Geneva on 5 November 2026, hosted by Switzerland.