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Humanitarian partners call for $106.6 million to respond to urgent needs of Sudanese refugees and their hosts in Libya [EN/AR]

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TRIPOLI - As Sudan’s full-scale war lingers on in its second year, the crisis has become one of the world’s largest displacement emergencies. With over 12 million people forced to flee, humanitarian needs continue to soar.

Today in Geneva, humanitarian partners launched the 2025 Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP), outlining urgent funding needs across host countries, including Libya.

Since the conflict began, more than 240,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in Libya, seeking safety from violence and instability. As the crisis persists, more refugees continue to arrive, placing increasing pressure on humanitarian response efforts.

Seeking $106.6 million under the Libya chapter of the Regional RRP, 20 UN agencies and INGOs, along with their local partners, are mobilizing to support 375,000 Sudanese refugees, 70,000 people in host communities, and 1,000 third-country nationals. In close coordination with the State of Libya, this response aims to provide essential assistance, from emergency relief to longer-term solutions.

This response plan is part of a wider regional effort, which brings together 111 humanitarian and development partners, including 20 UN agencies, 59 international NGOs and 37 national NGOs, and civil society organizations, who collaborate hand in hand with host countries.

Despite ongoing humanitarian efforts, Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers in Libya continue to face serious protection risks and face urgent humanitarian needs, including shelter, clean water, hygiene, healthcare, and food. In addition, education and livelihoods are critical to supporting resilience.

With more refugees arriving every day from Sudan and resources overstretched, critical support to Libya’s humanitarian efforts to assist Sudanese refugees is urgently required. This will be essential to continue delivering life-saving assistance and protection, including healthcare, food and nutrition, clean water, education and livelihood support to meet basic needs of the most at-risk refugees.

“Libya continues to show solidarity in hosting refugees from Sudan, even with resources stretched,” said Aeneas Chuma, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya. "This plan is a crucial step to ensure that refugees have access to protection, healthcare, and basic dignity. Now is the time for the international community to step up and stand with them."

The launch of the 2025 Regional RRP underscores the urgent need for sustained international support. “The urgency of funding cannot be overstated,” Mesfin Degefu, Deputy Chief of Mission of UNHCR in Libya emphasized. “Without action, thousands of children will be deprived of schooling, malnutrition will increase, and both refugees and host communities will struggle with worsening healthcare.”

For more information:

Anne Marie Kerrigan-Deriche, Senior External Relations Officer, kerrigan@unhcr.org

Sanne Biesmans, Communications and Reporting Officer, biesmans@unhcr.org

Aml Albarghouti, Assistant Communications Officer, albarghouti@unhcr.org