Egypt hosts over 600,000 refugees, asylum seekers: UNHCR

June 25, 2024 (CAIRO) – Egypt is hosting at least 672,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers from 62 countries, with Sudanese forming the largest group.

This is more than double the number from a year ago with major conflicts across its borders. according to figures from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Most of the refuges live in urban areas of the capital, Cairo and the North Coast.

The UN agency said more than 617,000 people forced to flee Sudan have approached its office in Egypt since April 2023 as it scales up delivery of cash assistance and registration to address the most urgent needs of new arrivals.

Since the onset of Sudan’s conflict in April 2023, UNHCR said it has observed a six-fold increase in Sudanese registering as refugees, mainly women and children.

The situation has been worsened by the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the agency said.

In response to the Gaza situation, UNHCR has reportedly delivered water, clothes, blankets, jerry cans, and sleeping mats to Gaza through the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), and cash assistance to medical evacuees from Gaza into Egypt.

UNHCR has been operational in Egypt since 1954 after the Government of Egypt and UNHCR signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Since then, UNCHR has provided protection services including all aspects of registration, documentation, refugee status determination and resettlement to those who are forcibly displaced.

(ST)