Egypt: Egypt has become the largest host country for Sudanese refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Friday 8/11/2024.
According to State Information Service Egypt, citing recent data from the Egyptian government, the UNHCR said more than 1.2 million Sudanese have sought international protection in Egypt since the outbreak of war in mid-April 2023.
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has forcibly displaced three million individuals who sought refuge in neighbouring countries and beyond.
In its statement, the UNHCR added that the magnitude of the Sudanese humanitarian crisis has placed immense pressure on Egypt’s resources and infrastructure.
“Despite the Egyptian government’s generosity and commitment to providing international protection, its capacities are now significantly overstretched,” the UN refugee agency noted.
The influx of Sudanese refugees has furth
er increased the number of Sudanese residing in the country, which already stands at five million, according to recent remarks by government officials.
The UNHCR called on the international community to urgently support Egypt in this humanitarian effort, reiterating that the responsibility for providing humanitarian and development aid must be shared globally.
“The burden on Egypt is unsustainable and requires immediate and substantial international assistance to ensure the protection and well-being of those affected by the conflict,” said Dr Hanan Hamdan, UNHCR Representative to the Government of Egypt and the League of Arab States.
According to the UN refugee agency, the Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 has received $1.52 billion in funding, which is 56.3 percent of the required $2.7 billion.
Despite this significant contribution, the funding gap remains substantial, highlighting the need for increased international support to address the crisis’s escalating demands, the agency added.
Egypt has co
nsistently pledged to provide comprehensive care for the Sudanese refugees who have arrived in large numbers since the onset of the crisis in 2023.
Cairo also hosted several summits to address the Sudanese crisis.