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Since war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, millions of people have been displaced within and outside the country. Among those impacted are refugees and migrants (non-Sudanese in Sudan) who were seeking safety and a better life in the country and those in transit along the Central Mediterranean Route towards North Africa and Europe. This infographic explores the movement intentions and protection experiences of these refugees and migrants.
Key findings
• Before the war, Sudan was a place of refuge for many: It was the second-largest host of refugees and asylum seekers in Africa, with over 1.1 million largely from neighboring countries, but also Syria and Yemen.1 Sudan was also the main transit country for people from East and the Horn of Africa seeking to move along the Central Mediterranean Route.
• Largest displacement crisis in the world: As of June 2024, more than 9.2 million have been forcibly displaced, including 1.9 million to neighboring countries. 2 The vast majority of those displaced are Sudanese, but refugees and migrants in Sudan have also been impacted.
• Challenges finding refuge in neighboring countries: Border regions in Chad and South Sudan are facing acute humanitarian crises and struggling to meet the basic protection and assistance needs of the newly displaced. 3 Visa requirements including delayed processing in Egypt and Ethiopia have hampered many from seeking asylum. In Egypt, those unable or unwilling to wait for visas have resorted to using smugglers to cross the border irregularly and risk death in the desert and protection incidents like deportation. Limited access to assistance and insecurity in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has contributed to several thousand Sudanese refugees leaving the camps close to the border.
• Allegations of extreme abuse against Sudanese and non-Sudanese women in Sudan: Reports of rape, forced marriage and the trafficking of women and girls continue to emerge.
• Looming famine threatens millions in Sudan: According to Integrated Food Security (IPC), 25.6 million people are facing acute food insecurity (IPC3+) and are at risk of famine.