As the conflict in Sudan approaches its fourth year, the fighting has crippled not only cities and infrastructure but the country's education system, leaving millions of children out of school and raising fears of long-term social and economic damage.

Schools remain closed across large parts of the country. Teachers have fled conflict zones; funding has dried up and many buildings have been damaged or repurposed as shelters for displaced families. Aid agencies and education specialists warn that the prolonged disruption could create a generation of children without access to consistent schooling.

In displacement camps and urban neighborhoods, families are improvising.

Fifteen-year-old Nadia Mousa, who fled her home because of the fighting, now studies inside a displacement camp instead of a classroom. She had been preparing for secondary school examinations before the conflict disrupted her education.

"We lost everything," she said. "My father is away, our home is unreachable, but I need to continue studying so I can help myself and my family. I want to be a pilot so I can visit my home again and other places I haven't seen."

Like many displaced students, Nadia depends on volunteer tutors and informal study groups organized by local residents. Across Sudan, families have formed neighborhood learning circles to keep children engaged academically despite the collapse of formal schooling.

Parents say education has become both a priority and a coping mechanism.

"I prioritize my daughter's and my other four children's education," said Nada Ahmed, a displaced mother. "I even started studying myself at this age so I do not think negatively and can be a useful mother. I work in small crafting to feed them. Learning cannot stop, no matter the conditions, so we don't lose a generation."

Volunteer educators, including some members of Sudan's diaspora, are offering lessons in person and, where internet access permits, online. But connectivity remains unreliable and resources are limited.

Education experts warn that the consequences of prolonged school closures could extend well beyond the conflict itself.

"If this conflict keeps children out of school, we risk losing an entire generation," said Ali Abdulrahim, an education specialist. "When education stops, the dangers grow: Child labor, early marriage, recruitment and lasting trauma. Learning during conflict is not optional; it protects children and gives them stability. These young people will rebuild this country, and without education, recovery will be much harder."

While international attention has focused largely on the humanitarian crisis and ongoing fighting, experts say restoring access to education will be critical to Sudan's long-term recovery.

For now, in camps and crowded neighborhoods, families continue to improvise classrooms, seeking to preserve a measure of normalcy in a country where conflict has upended nearly every other institution.

Edited by CGTN Africa reporter Marion Gachuhi