Geneva: As the war in Sudan nears its fourth year, the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, along with 123 partners, has made a $1.6 billion appeal to support millions of individuals forced to seek safety outside their homeland.According to United Nations, the 2026 Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) aims to provide critical aid to 5.9 million people across seven neighboring countries, including the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Uganda. The plan focuses on supporting approximately 470,000 new refugees anticipated to arrive in these countries, in addition to thousands who remain in border areas with limited assistance.The conflict in Sudan, which began in mid-April 2023, has resulted in a significant displacement crisis, with the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) engaged in a prolonged power struggle. Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR's Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, emphasized the ongoing impact of the war and the challenges faced by humanitarian efforts. He stated that Sudan remains the world's largest displacement and humanitarian crisis amidst a severe global funding shortage.With essential services collapsing and restricted humanitarian access in many areas, thousands continue to flee across borders weekly. These refugees often arrive in already vulnerable regions, where public services and economic opportunities were scarce even before the crisis began.Approximately 4.3 million Sudanese refugees remain displaced within the region, primarily in Egypt and eastern Chad. Mr. Balde highlighted the remarkable solidarity shown by host governments and communities, but noted that their capacity is being severely tested. Egypt, hosting 1.4 million Sudanese refugees, has seen a significant increase in registered refugee numbers since 2023. However, funding cuts have forced UNHCR to close registration centers, impacting access to essential protection services.In eastern Chad, over 71,000 refugee families lack adequate s helter, and nearly 234,000 individuals await relocation from precarious border conditions. In Uganda, clinic closures and the suspension of critical nutrition programs in the Kiryandongo settlement heighten the risk of disease among Sudanese refugees.Despite constrained resources, the 2026 plan aims to support host countries in providing basic services, such as food, shelter, healthcare, and protection for new arrivals and vulnerable refugees. However, Mr. Balde warned that the gap between rising needs and diminishing resources could undermine emergency response efforts and long-term solutions.In the meantime, UNHCR continues to urge for stronger international support to address the persistent underfunding of humanitarian operations in the countries hosting Sudanese refugees.
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