-
Current Requirements (US$)$504.6 million
Analysis of context, crisis and needs
Clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have continued since 15 April 2023, displacing nearly 6.2 million people inside and outside Sudan. This is now the largest protection crisis in the region. As of 3 November, close to 1.2 million people had fled Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict. This includes nearly 893,000 refugees and asylum-seekers (mainly Sudanese but also other nationalities of refugees previously hosted in Sudan), and over 304,000 refugee returnees (mainly South Sudanese, but also Chadians, Central Africans, and Ethiopians). Before the conflict, Sudan was host to one of the largest refugee populations in Africa (1.1 million refugees).
The situation in Sudan remains dire, with physical security, extortion, forced recruitment including of children and refugees, conflict-related sexual violence, and trafficking and smuggling. Human rights violations by parties to the conflict also continue to be reported, most notably in Khartoum and Darfur states. Areas less affected by direct conflict have received displaced people, which have stretched their services thin, and, in many instances, these states are unable to meet critical needs. Despite attempts at various ceasefires and peace agreements, restoration to peace has been unsuccessful and if the conflict continues in 2024, people will likely continue to flee out of the country, with over 600,000 Sudanese refugees, and refugees of other nationalities seeking asylum and 450,000 people returning to their countries of origin. In addition to the internal displacement of nationals in Sudan, as many as 230,000 refugees may be secondarily displaced.
Renk, Upper Nile State, South Sudan
Heavy rains have aggravated dire humanitarian conditions in the UNHCR transit centre in Renk, which currently hosts thousands of refugees, the majority of whom are South Sudanese returnees, who have fled the conflict in Sudan.
UNHCR/Samuel OtienoThe five neighbouring countries, the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan were already hosting a large number of refugees, including 800,000 Sudanese refugees, before 15 April 2023. In addition, CAR, South Sudan and Chad also host internally displaced populations. The new refugee arrivals to Chad add to the more than 400,000 Sudanese refugees who have been in a protracted situation in eastern Chad for some 20 years. In South Sudan, 76 per cent of the population was already estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance, in addition to more than 280,000 Sudanese who arrived pre-April 2023. In Ethiopia, more than 20 million people need humanitarian assistance in addition to almost 50,000 Sudanese refugees who arrived pre-April 2023. The hosting countries have, for the most part, opened their borders to those seeking safety. However, humanitarian programmes are chronically underfunded and need international support to sustain the generosity of the host countries. Despite historically hosting refugees, and having the second-highest number of arrivals of Sudanese refugees, Egypt has imposed stringent entry requirements, including the mandatory need for a valid passport and visa for all Sudanese nationals, which may have impeded access to asylum.
Cairo, Egypt
Rauth, 29, and her family arrived in Egypt after leaving Sudan. The situation in their home country has prevented them from returning home, they turned to the UNHCR registration center on the outskirts of Cairo in search of international protection. Once the violence subsides in Sudan and conditions allow, they would like to return to their home to be with the rest of their family.
UNHCR/Jaime GiménezMost new arrivals enter through very remote border locations of the neighbouring countries where humanitarian partners provide critical life-saving assistance and facilitate onward movement in extremely difficult conditions requiring extensive logistical arrangements. People are being assisted to move onwards, either to camps or settlements for refugees and places of preferred destination for the returnees. In some locations, the new arrivals opted to self-relocate due to the slow pace of the movement, congestion in transit and feeling of insecurity in border areas. Humanitarian actors also focused on establishing systems and procedures for the delivery of assistance, including protection, health, WASH and others, mitigating the manifestation of disease. The new arrivals were often traumatized and in a vulnerable situation, requiring high levels of assistance, particularly, life-saving assistance, access to basic services and protection. With the possibility of protracted displacement, it is imperative for Regional RRP partners to build the resilience of refugees and host communities and link to broader development responses that are needed to ensure long-term stability and self-sufficiency, alongside a humanitarian response which meets life-saving needs.
Amdafock, Central African Republic
A group of Sudanese people wait to be registered as refugees. Thousands of Sudanese civilians have crossed the CAR border fleeing violence in Darfur.
UNHCR/Xavier BourgoisStrategic objectives and sectoral priorities
In 2024, the Regional RRP will continue life-saving and emergency humanitarian activities such as registration, provision of emergency shelter and core relief items, facilitating access to essential health and nutrition services, support to host countries to ensure access to territory and asylum for all individuals in need of international protection, including those with specific needs, unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) and other children at risk. Survivor-centred health, psychosocial, security, justice and other services will also be scaled up for GBV survivors. Relocation of the new arrivals to safer sites in collaboration with concerned governments remains a priority despite the huge logistical challenges. The 2024 plan will pursue a deliberate and important inclusion of resilience and systems strengthening with concerted efforts to engage development partners in complementary interventions on the humanitarian, peace, and development nexus.
Djabal refugee camp, Sila Region, Chad
Zamzam Ahmat Kouyouka and her two daughters fled Khartoum following the death of her husband in the ongoing conflicts. Following a harrowing and arduous journey, she was reunited with members of her family before continuing to the Djabal refugee camp, where UNHCR and its partners provided life-saving assistance.
UNHCR/Eugene SibomanaThe 2024 RRP will be organized around the four following strategic objectives:
- Support host countries to ensure access to territory and asylum for all individuals in need of international protection and in compliance with the principle of non-refoulement and the civilian and humanitarian character of asylum.
- Support host countries to provide timely and life-saving protection and humanitarian assistance for all those fleeing Sudan, with a specific focus on identifying and supporting the most vulnerable and those most at risk in need of specialized protection interventions and other services.
- Support host countries to build capacity and resilience so that those fleeing Sudan are included in national systems, particularly in health and education, and able to live in integrated settlements, and or in rural areas or urban areas and undertake livelihoods.
- Support neighbouring countries to ensure access to their territory for third-country nationals and assist, in close coordination with embassies and consulates, third-country nationals with immigration procedures and in contacting respective consular authorities to enable them to return home to their respective countries of origin.
Efforts will continue to plan for and support the medium and long-term inclusion of refugees in national systems across sectors and for livelihoods and economic inclusion. All RRP partners are committed to Accountability to Affected Populations, empowering local communities and promoting a localization agenda to foster local capacity and ownership. In addition, measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse will continue to be instituted by all organizations. As the region is prone to climate shocks, mitigation measures and other environmental interventions will be implemented across the programme to promote a sustainable, resilient response to the Sudan crisis.
Evolution of the humanitarian response
22-Jan-2026
Evolution of the humanitarian response
| Year | Type | People in need | People targeted | Requirements ($) | Funding ($) | % Funded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
2.4 million
|
2.4 million
|
$611.8 million
|
$99.4 million
|
16.2%
|
|
| 2024 |
1.4 million
|
1.4 million
|
$504.6 million
|
$145.4 million
|
28.8%
|
|
| 2023 |
0.6 million
|
0.6 million
|
$217.6 million
|
$93.9 million
|
43.1%
|
References
- Population figures are taken from https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/sudansituation