Since the outbreak of war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April 2023, thousands of young men and women have been confronted with a bleak reality and painful circumstances. Holding university degrees in various academic disciplines, they had looked forward to a better future and a promising life. However, the war has shattered their dreams, turning their academic certificates into worthless pieces of paper.
This has resulted from the near-total collapse of the country’s economic infrastructure, which has affected more than 90 per cent of factories and institutions in the capital, Khartoum, and other conflict-affected states. Consequently, thousands of jobs that would otherwise have absorbed these graduates have disappeared.
As the war expanded to engulf all five states of Darfur, several areas, particularly North Darfur, were transformed into camps for war victims. University graduates found themselves stranded in these camps, waiting for humanitarian assistance.
The Nightmare of Unemployment
Salah Ishaq, 32, a holder of a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences who currently lives in the Tawila camp in North Darfur, said:
“When El Fasher, my hometown, came under bombardment and was captured by the RSF in late October 2025, having been the army’s last stronghold in the region, the lives of civilians were turned upside down. They came under bombardment from all directions, were subjected to heavy gunfire, and their homes were burned down. The main concern was to flee in search of safe shelter. Yet, amid all these developments, I did not forget to carry my university certificate, on which my future and livelihood depended.”
Ishaq added:
“Despite being stopped and searched at RSF checkpoints, they did not find my university certificate, which I had carefully folded until it became a tiny bundle of paper. I was certain that if they found it, they would not hesitate to destroy it and tear it apart, particularly because my professional future depended on it.
“However, after being displaced and settling in Tawila camp in North Darfur, I never imagined that my certificate would become worthless, nothing more than ink on paper. I do not know when this nightmare will end, given the expansion of the conflict across the country and its prolonged duration, which has destroyed the dreams of young people.”
The displaced graduate pointed out that:
“This painful reality does not affect me alone. It applies to thousands of graduates who are lost in displacement and refugee camps. They believed that surviving death would be enough to save them, but they are now facing the challenge of unemployment as a result of the complete collapse of the country’s economic infrastructure.”
A Fleeting Memory
For his part, Mohamed Al-Faki, a graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture, said:
“My ancestors practised farming in major agricultural schemes, and their profession inspired me to study agriculture until I graduated as an agricultural engineer. I had intended to apply what I had learned in practice through agricultural projects and contribute to addressing the food gap in the Darfur region.”
Al-Faki explained:
“The expansion of the war into Darfur destroyed everything, including my ambitions. Today, I survive on international aid and wait for a single meal that barely satisfies my hunger. What is particularly painful is that my university degree has become nothing more than a fleeting memory, despite all the effort I invested in obtaining it. It had become a source of pride for my family, and I had hoped to become their breadwinner.”
The agricultural engineer further explained:
“The war has forced graduates holding some of the highest academic qualifications to engage in marginal occupations, such as carrying goods and selling water using animal-drawn carts, among other jobs they come across simply to earn a living.”
Dreams and Displacement
Meanwhile, Ruqayya Abakar, a graduate of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine who is now a refugee in camps in eastern Chad, said:
“It is well known that Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, is renowned for its livestock wealth and grazing areas. This encouraged me to study veterinary medicine, as I expected that obtaining my degree would provide immediate employment opportunities, whether in government institutions or pastoral areas.
“These areas had witnessed an influx of veterinary doctors seeking to gain practical experience, strengthen their academic knowledge, treat animals, and assist herders and livestock owners. However, the war intervened, leaving me to endure displacement and homelessness in refugee camps in eastern Chad, where I now live in extreme hardship.
“All doors have been closed to me, and my university degree has become meaningless, even in the capital, Khartoum, following the destruction of veterinary laboratories.”
Abakar explained that:
“The most unfortunate thing is that the war has paralysed the potential of young graduates. A large proportion of them are living in refugee camps, and most are engaged in occupations unrelated to their academic qualifications, although these jobs provide some means of supporting their families.”
She added:
“At the beginning of every new day, I wake up hoping that life will return to normal and that I will once again have the opportunity to practise veterinary medicine. I managed to protect my graduation certificate from being burned during the attacks on Darfur states and the subsequent displacement of their residents.”
The refugee graduate noted that:
“University degree holders have become among the foremost victims of this catastrophe. Many of them are trying to use their knowledge and expertise to contribute to educating children, developing ideas, and implementing initiatives that have emerged in the camps. They are also helping manage community kitchens and charitable food programmes.
“Among them are teachers, doctors, and engineers who possess the knowledge and ideas needed to develop and successfully implement projects. However, others have simply surrendered to unemployment.”
Victims of War
In a related development, Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, explained that:
“Thousands of displaced young men and women are living in the Tawila camps in Darfur and in eastern Chad under extremely difficult conditions. The conflict has destroyed their prospects for the future. Displacement has spared no one; it has affected even highly qualified professionals and contributed to the migration of skilled minds and qualified personnel, leaving many of them largely dependent on international humanitarian aid convoys.”
Rijal pointed out that:
“One of the most dangerous consequences of the war is the depletion of Darfur’s human resources and the prolongation of people’s suffering. If this situation continues, the region will be deprived of its future leaders, while dependence on humanitarian assistance will increase.”
He added:
“In my view, the international community and humanitarian organisations must pay particular attention to young people, especially university graduates, and establish urgent intervention programmes aimed at preventing the loss of skilled professionals and rehabilitating young people so that they can become part of the solution rather than victims of the war.”
The spokesperson for the Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees further stated:
“Tawila camp in North Darfur has turned into a shelter for victims of war following the arrival of thousands of displaced young people fleeing the horrors of fighting in El Fasher and the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps. Hunger is consuming their frail bodies, while unemployment is destroying their dreams.”
