Abyei administrative area
The Abyei Administrative Area remains a disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan, with humanitarian challenges rooted in episodic intercommunal violence, climate shocks and chronic poverty. Perennial tensions between ethnic groups over land rights and internal rift among ethnic groups have led to the emergence of armed youth groups and criminal activities. State and non-state armed actors pose access constraints to humanitarian operations.
Since the outbreak of the Sudan conflict, Abyei has received nearly 25,000 South Sudanese returnees, refugees/asylum-seekers and third-country nationals from Sudan. The population in the north has increased by about 20,000 people. The trading hub of the Amiet Market has expanded, and its population has risen to nearly 40,000 people. Since 2022, intercommunal violence in the south has increased the concentration of IDPs in central Abyei to more than 30,000 people. The Agok area has been de-populated, while Abyei town is overwhelmed by a large IDP settlement. In 2024, insecurity in Sudan impeded the seasonal reverse migration of herders from Abyei towards the north, leading to a settlement-like prolonged stay of about 9,800 cattle herders in Abyei.
Humanitarian needs in Abyei are the consequences of violence, impacts of natural disasters (especially floods and diseases), food insecurity due to loss of livelihoods, poverty and lack of access to essential services. More than 200,000 people are currently in IPC Phase 4. Economic hardship, high inflation rates in Sudan and South Sudan and the inability of the local governments to provide basic social services exacerbate the situation. In 2025, an estimated 300,000 people – including resident population, IDPs, returnees and refugees from Sudan – will require humanitarian assistance in Abyei. The humanitarian response will target 250,000 people. Due to operational constraints, people in the northern part have not received consistent life-saving assistance since the outbreak of the Sudan conflict.
Response strategy: The humanitarian response will focus on (i) strengthening emergency preparedness across all sectors; (ii) providing timely, multisectoral, life-saving assistance to crisis-affected and the most vulnerable people; (iii) improvement in humanitarian access; (iv) complementarities between the humanitarian response, development and peace efforts; and (v) innovative approaches in determining the priorities and context-specific solutions to the needs of communities. The humanitarian response in Abyei is driven by a ‘whole of Abyei’ approach, drawing on the collaboration of partners based in both South Sudan and Sudan. They will leverage their comparative advantages to balance assistance in both northern and southern Abyei. Close collaboration with development and peacebuilding partners is essential to creating the conditions of community resilience.
Response priorities: Due to operational and access constraints, people in the northern part have not received consistent life-saving assistance despite an intense community demand for an inclusive humanitarian response. Core preparedness and response activities will focus on conducting timely needs assessments to expedite humanitarian assistance, strengthening early warning systems and risk analysis capabilities, developing contingency plans, linking humanitarian assistance with resilience-building efforts and optimizing the humanitarian response to maximize impact with limited resources. Enabling activities will encompass ongoing negotiation for humanitarian access, fostering strategic partnership and collaboration with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, managing information to bolster advocacy efforts in Abyei, prioritization of cash as a modality for humanitarian assistance where feasible and engaging with communities to ensure that the response aligns with the priorities of those affected.