Attachments
CONTEXT
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High food inflation and the devaluation of the Egyptian pound have posed economic challenges for low-income populations in Egypt, resulting in one-third of Egyptians living below the national poverty line and the growing adoption of negative coping strategies, such as reducing food consumption and health expenditures and purchasing lower quality foods. Further exacerbating economic need in the country, the Government of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has hindered imports of staple foods and heightened the costs of basic items, such as food and fuel in Egypt, according to the UN World Food Program (WFP).
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Egypt remains a major destination country for refugees and asylum seekers from neighboring countries, with more than 403,000 refugees currently residing in the country, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports. Ongoing armed conflict in Syria and the mid-April outbreak of conflict in Sudan have prompted the displacement of an estimated 148,000 refugees from Syria and 257,000 refugees from Sudan to Egypt as of late June, according to UNHCR. The Government of Egypt (GoE) and UNHCR project that approximately 350,000 refugees will arrive in Egypt from Sudan between May and October. The increasing number of refugees in Egypt—many of whom reside in urban settings—places additional strain on public resources and services, making it more difficult for both host communities and Syrian refugees to meet basic needs; as a result, many refugees, who are especially at risk of food insecurity, rely on humanitarian assistance.
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The number of new Sudanese arrivals has slowed since the GoE imposed additional border security measures requiring all Sudanese nationals to obtain a visa before entering the country in early June, reversing a longstanding exemption for children, older people, and women; however, humanitarian needs—including education, food security, health, livelihoods, multipurpose cash, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance— persist for those arriving in Egypt, relief actors report. Access challenges for new arrivals from Sudan seeking asylum in Egypt—particularly third-country nationals, those without valid travel documents, and those unable to obtain visas—have resulted in family separations and the arrival of separated and unaccompanied children since mid-April. Moreover, new arrivals face an increased need for mental health and psychosocial support due to exposure to conflict and violence, especially for children and survivors of gender-based violence.