Attachments
There are 942,000 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR Egypt. Sudanese are the largest group, followed by Syrians. Most refugees live in Greater Cairo and Alexandria.
UNHCR has been in Egypt since 1954. Since then, UNCHR has provided protection, including registration, documentation, refugee status determination, and resettlement to people forced to flee.
Egypt is the top recipient country of people fleeing the current conflict in Sudan. UNHCR is intensifying its protection and assistance efforts to meet the most urgent needs of newly arrived Sudanese refugees.
Context
Egypt is currently at a critical juncture, amid the Sudan crisis on its southern border (one of the world’s fastest-growing displacement situations), the Gaza and Syria emergencies to the East, economic challenges, and significant humanitarian funding gaps. In this context, Egypt is a transit and destination country for refugees and asylum-seekers.
In December 2024, the Government of Egypt (GoE) enacted its first-ever asylum law. UNHCR is working with the GoE on a transition plan to support establishing an asylum management system in line with international and regional norms.
According to the GoE, 1.5 million Sudanese fled to Egypt since the onset of the Sudan conflict in 2023. With the escalating crisis in Sudan, the number of refugees arriving in Egypt has surged dramatically (a tenfold increase compared to pre-crisis levels), placing additional strain on existing resources. UNHCR Egypt is actively addressing the needs of refugees through a range of vital interventions.
In response to the Gaza crisis, UNHCR has delivered water, clothes, blankets, jerry cans, and sleeping mats to Gaza, and cash assistance to medical evacuees from Gaza in Egypt – both through the Egyptian Red Crescent. UNHCR also provides protection and assistance to some 140,000 Syrian refugees in Egypt, including facilitating their return to Syria for those who wish to do so in an informed and voluntary manner.
A key goal of UNHCR Egypt is ensuring refugees are included in national systems, services, and strategies from the beginning of emergencies. This approach includes working closely with national and local public institutions, development organizations, the private sector, and other partners to strengthen policies, improve government capacity to deliver inclusive services and support refugees in becoming self-reliant. This long-term vision is implemented through multi-year programs aimed at refugee inclusion, such as the Dutch-funded Prospects programme and the EU-funded Joint Platform for Migrants and Refugees.