$445m needed for increasing number fleeing Sudan: UNHCR
May 4, 2024 (GENEVA) – $445 million is required to support about 860,000 refugees and returnees from Sudan, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said.
The updates followed a preliminary summary of the inter-agency Regional Refugee Response Plan for Sudan presented to donors on Thursday.
The response plan, UNHCR said, will primarily cover immediate support in Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia and Central African Republic (CAR).
“The humanitarian situation in and around Sudan is tragic – there are food, water and fuel shortages, limited access to transport, communications and electricity, and skyrocketing prices of basic items,” said Raouf Mazou, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Operations.
“UNHCR and partners have emergency teams in place and are assisting authorities with technical support, registering arrivals, carrying out protection monitoring and strengthening reception to ensure urgent needs are met. This is just a start. More help is urgently needed,” he added.
UNHCR said of the projected 860,000, 580,000 will be Sudanese, 235,000 refugees previously hosted by Sudan returning home in adverse conditions and 45,000 refugees of other nationalities previously hosted by Sudan.
Egypt and South Sudan are likely to see the most arrivals, the agency said.
The current fighting has already displaced over 330,000 people inside Sudan with a further over 100,000 refugees and returnees leaving Sudan.
The refugee agency on Thursday launched a data portal to update daily new numbers of refugee and returnee arrivals in neighbouring countries.
“We urgently need timely, new funding to respond to the mounting needs,” stressed Mazou, adding “The needs are vast, and the challenges are numerous. If the crisis continues, peace and stability across the region could be at stake.”
Since April 15, clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has had devastating consequences for civilians, who have been killed, injured and forced to flee their homes as a result of the conflict.
(ST)