EL OBEID – Drone strikes hit two warehouses in Sheikan locality, North Kordofan, destroying more than 330,000 educational supplies intended for thousands of children as the new school year began, UNICEF said.
The U.N. children’s agency said the strikes, which occurred on Sept. 20, destroyed more than 292,000 school textbooks, about 40,000 Arabic and mathematics revision books, and other educational materials.
The supplies had been scheduled for distribution beginning in October 2026, with some allocated to schools in West Barah, Barah and Umm Dam, UNICEF said.
The agency warned that the loss would affect the education of thousands of children in areas already struggling with severe shortages caused by the war.
UNICEF Sudan Representative Angela Kearney said the destruction was a major setback at a time when efforts were underway to return children to classrooms after years of disrupted schooling.
She said many children had already lost years of education because of the conflict, while schools continue to face shortages of teachers, desks and learning materials.
UNICEF said delivering educational supplies to conflict-affected areas remains difficult, making the destruction of the materials particularly damaging.
The agency stressed that safe learning environments and access to educational supplies are essential to helping children resume their education, recover from the effects of war and rebuild their futures.
UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
It also urged the protection of schools, educational facilities and learning materials to safeguard children’s right to education.
UNICEF did not identify who was responsible for the drone strikes.
