The last quarter of 2024 saw more violence in Sudan than at any time since the conflict began nearly two years ago, Save the Children said, with significant violent attacks against children and other civilians continuing into 2025.
Save the Children analysed instances of violence in Sudan recorded by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) between 15 April 2023 and 31 January 2025 [1] and found over 700 violent events targeting civilians in the last three months of 2024 - much higher than any other quarter in the conflict.
There were 199 incidents of violence in December, 217 in November and 288 in October – including airstrikes, drone attacks, artillery shelling, armed clashes, child kidnappings, killings and sexual violence – which represent an upward trend from previous months, in a conflict that has been marked by extreme brutality, hunger and displacement.
In addition, so far this year, ACLED has recorded 208 events targeting civilians – an increase of 78% from January 2024 - many of them with devastating consequences for children. These include the killing of a high school student on 5 January, and a father shot dead in front of his children on 8 January.
Meanwhile in El Fasher, the end of January was marked by horrific violence, including an attack on Abu Shouk camp that killed at least seven people and injured 11 more, and an attack on the El Fasher Saudi Teaching Hospital in North Darfur which killed about 70 people including children and injured many others.
