EL OBEID, Sudan, 15 October 2026 — Children in the Sudanese city of El Obeid are being forced to stop lessons because of drones flying overhead, raising fears for their safety and disrupting their education, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) says.
Shashwat Saraf, the organisation’s country director in Sudan, said teachers were regularly suspending classes as drones flew over schools in the city of North Kordofan State.
“Children should not have to be brave just to attend school,” Saraf said after visiting El Obeid this week.
The city, home to more than 500,000 people, has experienced repeated drone attacks on civilian sites in recent weeks, including a university dormitory, a shelter for displaced families and warehouses containing more than 330,000 textbooks.
El Obeid has also received tens of thousands of people fleeing fighting elsewhere in Kordofan and Sudan, putting additional pressure on already limited services.
The NRC said its supported learning centres had enrolled more than 5,500 pupils, while many other families were still trying to secure places for their children.
Working with the Alsalam Organisation for Rehabilitation and Development, the aid agency is helping children catch up on missed lessons and cope with the fear and stress caused by the conflict.
At a girls’ school supported by the organisation, about 1,200 students are enrolled, but only three classrooms are available for use.
The NRC has built two additional classrooms and toilets, supplied learning materials and trained teachers to support children affected by the war. However, Saraf said the facilities remained insufficient for the number of pupils.
“Children are willing, teachers are willing, parents are willing,” he said. “What they are missing is the certainty that a school day can simply be a school day, without listening for drones or wondering when lessons might have to stop.”
Displaced families struggle to survive
Beyond the disruption to education, families in El Obeid are facing rising prices and difficulties accessing clean water, adequate shelter and safe sanitation.
The NRC said it had provided cash assistance to 4,000 households and distributed 3,000 kits containing essential hygiene and shelter supplies, including blankets, sleeping mats, plastic sheeting, water containers and solar lamps.
The organisation is seeking $7.1m (£5.3m) for a 12-month response plan intended to assist 107,000 people in the city. It said 65% of the required funding remained outstanding.
Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has displaced millions of people and severely disrupted essential services across the country.
Saraf called on the warring parties to protect civilians and keep military assets away from civilian areas.
Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law, he said, urging donors to provide urgent funding for education, water and shelter.
For children in El Obeid, the immediate challenge remains getting an education in an environment where the sound of drones can bring lessons to an abrupt halt.
