UNICEF: Sudanese children bear brunt of vicious war

During an interview from Sudan, UNICEF Representative in the country Sheldon Yett said, “Kids, didn’t start this war. They are not the ones who are really fighting this war, and they’re not responsible for this war. But they are the victims.”

Yett spoke about the effects of armed violence on children as schools and health centers are being hit. He also discussed the efforts being made by UNICEF to stop the spread of infectious diseases, and the impediments humanitarians face in reaching those in need.

Yett said, “It’s one thing for somebody to say something at a very senior level, and it’s something else to see that those are pledges enacted on the ground, on the battlefield. What really matters is the guy with a gun on the road allowing the truck to go forward. And that’s what we need.”

Yett also raised alarms saying Sudan is the “largest educational emergency” that he is aware of currently and he spoke about the long-term effects of the war on children.