Canada urged to close arms export gaps as Sudan conflict hits three-year mark
OTTAWA, ON, April 9, 2026 /CNW/ – As Sudan’s brutal conflict reaches its third anniversary, World Vision Canada is urging the Government of Canada to take immediate action to protect children, tighten arms export controls, and ensure lifesaving aid can reach families in need.
Sudan is now the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 33 million people in need of assistance and millions of children facing hunger, displacement, and violence.
Hospitals have been attacked or forced to shut down. Schools have been damaged or destroyed. Food convoys are blocked before they reach families. And while children are being cut off from the help they need to survive, weapons continue to get through.
Recent reporting by the CBC and The Globe and Mail has documented that Canadian-made weapons and components have been found in the Sudan conflict, raising serious concerns about loopholes in Canada’s export control system.
These concerns come despite repeated assurances from the federal government that Canada’s system is among the most rigorous in the world. Even when asked directly in Parliament and on international trips, federal ministers have not provided clear answers on how Canadian-made weapons ended up in this conflict or what concrete steps have been taken in response.
On the ground, humanitarian needs continue to escalate, while access to deliver aid remains constrained.
Ahead of the upcoming high-level Sudan conference in Berlin on April 15, World Vision Canada is calling on the Government of Canada to take two immediate steps:
- Strengthen export controls to prevent Canadian-made weapons and components from harming children and civilians.
- Use diplomatic leadership to ensure humanitarian aid can safely reach families in need.
Canadians who want to take action can call 1-877-25-RESPOND to hear messages from those affected by the crisis and leave their own message of solidarity, concern, or prayer. These messages will be shared with Canadian parliamentarians to demonstrate public demand for action.
Three years into this crisis, millions of children in Sudan remain at risk. The path forward is clear, but immediate action is essential.
Quotes
“For children in Sudan, this conflict has meant hunger, fear, and the loss of what should be safe places: hospitals, schools, and homes,” said Allison Alley, President and CEO of World Vision Canada. “And Sudan is not alone. In a world of growing instability and violence, we must refuse to accept this as the new normal. Children cannot be treated as collateral. This isn’t how childhood should look, and it doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Communities are running out of food, water, and basic services, and many families simply cannot access the help they need,” said Simon Mane, National Director of World Vision Sudan. “Humanitarian assistance is ready, but insecurity and access restrictions are delaying it from reaching the most vulnerable, especially children.”
“Canadians are rightly asking how this is happening, and what is being done by the Canadian government to help to stop it,” said Martin Fischer, Director of Policy at World Vision Canada. “If Canada’s export controls are as strong as our government says, it should be able to demonstrate how they are preventing harm. That means transparency, accountability, and concrete action to close the gaps that allow Canadian weapons to harm children.”
SOURCE World Vision Canada
