Sudan hosts 1.1 million refugees and more than 3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Recently, it saw new displacements from Ethiopia, Sudan and within Darfur States.
UNHCR and partners continue responding to the needs of about 50,000 Ethiopian refugees in East Sudan and 7,800 Ethiopian asylum-seekers in Blue Nile State.
UNHCR supports solutions for IDPs and South Sudanese refugees, such as voluntary return, legal work, self-reliance or resettlement, if needed and feasible.
Working with Partners
■ Sudan hosts one of the largest refugee populations in Africa. South Sudanese make up the majority. Many others fled violence and persecution in neighbouring countries, including Eritrea, the Central African Republic,
Ethiopia, and Chad, but also the wars in Syria and Yemen pushed people to seek safety in Sudan. Most refugees live in out-of-camp settlements, host communities and urban areas (67%), while others (33%) stay in 24 camps and many more settlements (10 in East Sudan, 1 in Blue Nile State, 10 in White Nile State, 2 in East Darfur and 1 in Central Darfur State).
■ UNHCR, with Sudan’s Commissioner for Refugees (COR), leads and coordinates the refugee response in Sudan as co-chair of the Refugee Consultation Forum (RCF). The forum brings together partners, including NGOs, who provide protection, such as legal aid, health services, food, water, hygiene, and sanitation.
■ The Country Refugee Response Plan 2021 brings together over 38 partners to respond to the needs of about 968,000 refugees and about 268,000 people in host communities.
■ UNHCR coordinates the Emergency Shelter/Non-food-items (NFIs) and Protection sectors (i.e., clusters) for IDPs as part of an inter-agency response. It manages the NFI Common Pipeline as a reliable source of plastic sheeting, blankets, kitchen sets and mosquito nets, etc., for IDPs, distributed by partners. UNHCR co-chairs the Durable Solutions Working Group (DSWG) at Khartoum level which provides policy, broad coordination, and advocacy support. UNHCR with IOM also co-chair the Counter Trafficking and Mixed Migration Working Group (CTWG) aims at facilitating a holistic and comprehensive approach to prevent and combat trafficking in persons through coordination and collaboration among agencies and organizations.
■ As part of the response to the Tigray situation in eastern Sudan, UNHCR has been actively supporting the authorities, at their request, with service mapping and inter-agency coordination. Currently, UNHCR works with more than 40 partners to provide lifesaving assistance and protection to the thousands of Ethiopian women, men and children who crossed into the country.
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees