Up to 300,000 Sudanese people are expected to cross the Egyptian border and will need humanitarian assistance. Humanity & Inclusion is prepared to aid refugees and host communities. Local teams note that between 20 and 25% of the refugees are persons with disabilities.
Sudan crisis
On April 15 2023, armed clashes erupted suddenly between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, due to power struggles between their commanders. Since then, clashes have turned into all-out conflict in several cities, plunging the country into chaos.
Hundreds of people have died and thousands more have been injured, with new casualties every day. The United Nations estimates that more than 100,000 refugees have already fled to neighboring countries and that as many as 800,000 might flee Sudan in the coming weeks.
Egypt: a primary destination for Sudanese refugees
Egypt has become the primary destination for people fleeing the conflict in Sudan that started on April 15th, with 42,300 arrivals so far, and the potential to receive as many as 300,000 refugees over the next six months.
The individuals leaving Sudan arrive at the Egyptian border after a perilous journey through desert roads. They then face a lengthy wait at the border, which typically takes several days. They are in dire need of food, water, shelter, essential items, healthcare, and psychosocial support.
Humanity & Inclusion has been monitoring the arrival of new refugees from Sudan over the past two weeks. Teams are preparing to launch an emergency intervention with local partners to respond to the refugees' urgent basic needs, and to support the most vulnerable members of their host communities. Teams estimate that 25% of Sudanese refugees have a disability, making it essential for the humanitarian response to be inclusive.
"Most of the Sudanese refugees are in Aswan, the main city in Egypt once you cross the border, and surrounding areas," says Caroline Dauber, Country Manager in Egypt. "They are primarily composed of older people, women, and children. We are beginning to see people settling in the streets and occupying school buildings, as affordable and available accommodation is becoming scarce. The pressure on the host community is increasing, resulting in rising prices and strain on services. The situation is worrisome, and humanitarian aid needs to be organized quickly."
The number of refugees at the border is increasing. They have no access to food, water, or sanitation facilities. Currently, only the Egyptian Red Crescent intervenes. The most urgent needs are in this area.
In Aswan, people also require access to food, water, medical assistance, and shelter. We are observing more and more people who are traumatized. They have experienced fighting, lost family members during their trip, and suffer from a lot of anxiety and stress.
How Humanity & Inclusion can make a difference
In Aswan, and in the Greater Cairo Region, teams are proposing activities through partnerships with local organizations:
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Financial and technical support to complement the medical assistance provided by our partners.
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Rehabilitation and psychosocial support services
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Cash assistance
Given the high proportion of persons with disabilities among the refugees, teams propose to advise and train humanitarian organizations to better include this population of refugees in their emergency responses—a common action by Humanity & Inclusion, supporting the wider humanitarian community, and something teams almost systematically propose in emergency situations.
Objectives
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Respond to the immediate healthcare needs of 4,300 women, children, aging adults, persons with disabilities, and men.
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Respond to the immediate basic needs of 1,400 newly arrived households in Egypt,
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Ensure that the inter-agency emergency response plan addresses the needs of persons with disabilities who are on the move.
Experience with Sudanese refugees
Humanity & Inclusion in Egypt has been assisting refugees (including those from Sudan), migrants, and host communities for years through the following projects:
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COVID response with the “B-Safe program.” This project supported Egyptians living in extreme situations of vulnerability, as well as refugees and migrants in the Greater Cairo region. Teams provided food and cash assistance, and business recovery support.
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Early detection of disability or developmental delay and early intervention for Egyptians, refugees and migrants children in Greater Cairo:
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Detect the risk of developmental delay or disability in a child, refer them for pediatric consultations and services, and provide cognitive stimulation programs: Between 2019 and 2022, staff diagnosed developmental delays or disabilities in 1,200 children, who have since benefitted from early interventions.
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Psychosocial support for mothers (most of whom are divorced or alone) with a child with a disability to assert their rights.
Teams in Egypt have recently started a new project that will complement the activities mentioned above, including:
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Access to education and protection for Egyptians, refugees, and migrant children
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Strengthening economic support for mothers.