Attachments
Situation Overview & Key Highlights
A high-level pledging event for the Sudan Situation was held in Geneva on 19 June. At the Conference, around USD 1.52 billon in humanitarian assistance was pledged towards the Sudan Situation in 2023, against combined requirements for inside Sudan and neighbouring countries of USD 3.1 billion. The conference was organized jointly by United Nations, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the African Union, and the European Union. Further details are available in the Joint Press Release.
According to the statement by the Egyptian Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Sameh Shoukry at the event, more than 250,000 Sudanese have now crossed into Egypt. The Foreign Minister emphasized that the security of Sudan is integral to the national stability and security of Egypt and the whole region. Noting that Egypt is currently hosting some 60 per cent of those fleeing the conflict in Sudan, he urged the international community to provide the necessary financial support to host communities in neighbouring countries to promote their resilience and ensure peaceful coexistence. While major commitments were made during the pledging conference, the Egypt chapter of the Regional Refugee Response Plan remains only 11 per cent funded (details in the Refugee Funding Tracker). Over 30,000 new arrivals from Sudan, the vast majority Sudanese, have approached UNHCR in Egypt seeking international protection and are undergoing registration process, with almost 14,500 registered so far. Some 12,305 Sudanese have requested assistance from IOM.
The rate of new arrivals has slowed under new admission policies from several thousand per day to only a few hundred per day. From 10 June, anyone wishing to enter Egypt, irrespective of age & gender, must have an Egyptian entry visa. Afterwards, Sudanese nationals can continue to apply for a six-month residency subject to the presentation of a notarized rent contract and further approval by the GoE. Following these changes, it is anticipated that an increased number of people will approach protection services. In the meantime, crowds in the thousands and growing are behind the border gate and inside the buffer zone, including many with serious medical needs but incomplete documentation. Partners have been able to facilitate entry for serious medical cases, but only for those with correct documentation.
A humanitarian corridor was opened between the Qustol border crossing and Wadi Halfa. It was reported on 15 June that three WFP trucks carrying a first consignment of 50 metric tons of food travelled from Qustol to Wadi Halfa, thanks to the facilitation from Egyptian and Sudanese government counterparts. In addition, 15,000 of UNICEF’s hygiene kits are about to be delivered to the Sudanese Red Crescent. It is estimated that over 12,000 families (60,000 individuals) remain stranded in Wadi Halfa in difficult conditions with shelter, food, and medicine identified as the biggest needs.
Under WFP leadership of the Food Security Sector, 147,500 ready-to-eat food rations have been provided to respond to immediate needs at the border. Additionally, WFP is providing cash assistance, through its preestablished cash assistance platform, in Aswan and Cairo using an innovative enrolment tool which enables distribution of cash assistance in three minutes, benefiting 30,000 individuals thus far. UNICEF are partnering with WFP in the provision of cash assistance using WFP’s pre-establish cash assistance platform which has been made available for the use of other agencies and partners.
Cash Working Group partners continue to provide one-off emergency cash assistance to registered and unregistered new arrivals from Sudan. As of 30 June, a total of 12,476 registered and unregistered individuals (4,545 families) have been identified by UNHCR as eligible for the emergency cash assistance among whom 4,434 individuals (1,715 families) have already been assisted through Egypt Post Office while payments for the remaining eligible families are being processed.
Meanwhile, in terms of healthcare which has been one of the major needs for new arrivals, WHO has supplied the health care facilities in Aswan with 30 tons of medical supplies in addition to 10 tons of medications, providing treatment for 40,000 people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).