Tens of thousands of children born in Sudan's civil war are emerging into a world without a legal identity, jeopardizing their future access to education, healthcare, and basic rights. The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese military, has devastated communities and left many civilians displaced and vulnerable.
One such case is Amira, a 17-year-old who was abducted by RSF fighters in el-Fasher, a city in the western Darfur region. After being held captive for two months and subjected to repeated rape, she discovered she was pregnant. She was eventually released, and with the help of humanitarian organizations, she gave birth to a son at a hospital run by the International Medical Corps.
Despite receiving support from the Nada Al-Azhar Foundation for Disaster Prevention and Sustainable Development and being reunited with her family, Amira faces a significant hurdle: registering her son's birth. Without details about the child's father, a requirement for official documentation, her son lacks a birth certificate and a national identification number. This absence prevents him from receiving vaccinations, enrolling in school, or accessing other essential services. Amira expressed fear for his future, citing her difficult economic situation and her own vulnerability to violence, which prevents her from working to support him.
Amira's story is not unique. According to the Nada foundation, this is a common reality for children born in conflict zones across Sudan. Babies born as a result of sexual violence during the war are often unable to secure the necessary documentation, leading to a lifetime of potential disadvantages. The fall of el-Fasher to the RSF and allied militias in October 2024, after an 18-month siege, exacerbated the suffering of civilians trapped in the city, leading many, including Amira's family, to flee in early 2025 in search of safety.
The lack of legal identity for these children poses a substantial long-term challenge for Sudan, impacting the social and economic fabric of the nation for generations to come. Humanitarian organizations are working to provide support, but the scale of the crisis highlights the profound and lasting consequences of the ongoing conflict.