Sudanese students persist with university education amid war

Sarah Tekhlu, an Eritrean refugee who has been displaced three times since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, is on the brink of abandoning her university studies. After fleeing Khartoum for Madani and then moving again to Port Sudan as hostilities escalated, Tekhlu said the cost of continuing her education had become untenable, prompting her to consider giving up on a degree she once hoped would secure a stable future.

The situation reflects a broader crisis affecting Sudanese higher‑education students and displaced populations across the region. United Nations estimates indicate that more than 7 million people have been forced from their homes since the war began, with many facing interruptions to schooling and limited access to financial aid. Humanitarian agencies, including the UN Refugee Agency and local NGOs, have launched emergency scholarship and cash‑transfer programs aimed at preserving educational opportunities for refugees and internally displaced persons, but logistical challenges and funding shortfalls continue to impede widespread assistance. Tekhlu’s dilemma underscores the urgent need for sustained support to keep displaced youth in the university system amid ongoing conflict.