“Earlier this week, at least 30 children were reportedly killed or injured when multiple shells hit Sennar city.
“These appalling attacks continue to cause great harm and suffering to children, as well as widespread damage and destruction to essential infrastructure children depend on. Last year, explosive weapons were responsible for more than half of all instances where children were killed or injured in Sudan, as documented by the United Nations.
“The violence against children and the attacks on civilian infrastructure must end. UNICEF repeats its calls to all parties to abide by their International Humanitarian Law obligations and take all feasible precautions to protect children.
“In 2023, Sudan witnessed the highest number of verified grave violations against children in more than a decade. An estimated 72 per cent of violations involved the killing and maiming of children, followed by recruitment and use of children by armed groups and sexual violence.
“In 2024, the UN continues to receive information of a shocking number of children being killed and maimed by heavy aerial bombardment, the use of artillery, and small arms fire. Girls have shouldered a particularly heavy burden, facing terrifying risks to their safety, including rape and other forms of sexual violence.
“The wave of atrocities unleashed upon the children in Sudan must stop.”
