The UN Refugee Agency, together with 38 international and national partners, launches the 2021 inter agency funding appeal to assist over one million refugees in the country.
UNHCR and partners are seeking US$ 574 million to assist more than one million refugees in Sudan in meeting basic needs, bolster self-reliance, and realise their rights.
Sudan hosts one of the region’s largest South Sudanese refugee populations, with over 762.000 of them living in the country as of February 2021. Over the years, refugees also arrived from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Syria, the Central African Republic and other countries.
In 2020, Sudan continued to uphold its open border policy and by the end of the year received about 50,000 refugees from Ethiopia’s Tigray region. More recently new influxes were reported into Blue Nile State and White Nile State.
Refugees in Sudan face high levels of poverty further exacerbated by the continued economic crisis and inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic and seasonal flooding which hit record-high levels last year. Sudanese people also grapple with high levels of food insecurity and forced displacement, with around 2.5 million being internally displaced.
“The newly launched response plan brings together 38 international and national organizations to work towards solutions and provide immediate assistance in all sectors – including food security, livelihood, protection, water, sanitation, hygiene, health, shelter and relief items,” said UNHCR’s Representative in Sudan, Axel Bisschop. “Nearly 270.000 Sudanese from the host communities will also benefit from these inter agency initiatives
Through increased engagement with development actors, UNHCR and partners will also support the Government of Sudan’s efforts to include refugees in its national health and education systems, support self-reliance, access to employment and durable solutions – as pledged at the 2019 Global Refugee Forum.
