Attachments
Regional Overview
The scale and magnitude of displacement within Sudan and into neighbouring countries has continued to increase since the conflict erupted in Khartoum, Sudan, in mid-April 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Despite repeated promises of a ceasefire, hostilities have been continuous since the outbreak of fighting, with the death toll tragically mounting into the hundreds of people and thousands having been injured. Many more are thought to have died due to the disruption of critical services, including health care1 . The UN Secretary General (UNSG) has issued several statements since the beginning of the hostilities condemning the outbreak of violence and asking parties to respect international law and calling for those responsible of the deaths and injuries of civilians to be brought to justice. Reports from Khartoum included the targeting of UN/INGO personnel, and looting of health facilities, including ambulances and hospitals.
While the signature of the Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan on 11 May could allow for much needed humanitarian assistance to be safely delivered and for essential services, like health care, water and electricity to be restored, currently the humanitarian situation in Sudan is dire. Food, water, and fuel shortages are pervasive, there is limited access to communications and electricity, and prices of essential items are skyrocketing and affecting access to basic needs. Rising costs of fuel as well as transport make it increasingly difficult for people to leave conflict-affected areas and move to safer locations. Yet, to date, over 80,000 refugees from Khartoum and other urban centres have relocated to existing refugee camps in the hope of being better protected. Access to health care has also been critically impacted by the conflict, with direct attacks on healthcare facilities as well as severe shortages of medicines and vital supplies. Humanitarian assets have and continue to be looted in areas affected by the conflict and humanitarian actors have been under attack. The clashes are adding another layer of complexity to an already challenging humanitarian situation in Sudan, as almost 16 million people were estimated to need humanitarian assistance in 2023 before this most recent crisis. The Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan has been revised to reflect this new situation.
Sudan, which has a long record of generously hosting refugees, used to be home to over 1 million refugees - the second highest refugee population in Africa - mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, and Ethiopia, as well as the Central African Republic, Chad and Yemen.
Over the years, several bouts of conflict have also forced people to flee within Sudan, with over 3.7 million people internally displaced, and over 800,000 Sudanese refugees seeking safety across borders, mainly in the neighbouring countries of Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Central African Republic and Ethiopia.
The current fighting has already displaced over 1.67 million1 people inside Sudan. In addition, over 475,0002 refugees and refugee returnees have left Sudan. Among those fleeing are South Sudanese returning home in adverse conditions and others who were themselves refugees in Sudan now fleeing into neighbouring countries.
The most significant cross-border movements so far have been Sudanese refugees arriving in Chad and Egypt, South Sudanese returning to South Sudan and Chadians returning to Chad. This includes more than 115,000 new refugee arrivals in Chad, 118,700 returnees and refugees in South Sudan3, 210, 000 Sudanese who have crossed into Egypt, in addition to more than 5,500 refugees of other nationalities, and over 10,300 refugee arrivals and 4,700 refugee returnees in CAR. Ethiopia has so far seen the arrival of some 12,000 refugees, the majority of whom are Eritrean followed by Sudanese. In Libya and Eritrea contingency planning is ongoing for a comparatively smaller number of arrivals.
In addition to the Sudanese refugees and the refugee returnees who are crossing into neighbouring countries, there are also migrant returnees and third country nationals (TCNs). Migrant returnees are arriving in very vulnerable conditions and require humanitarian and protection assistance upon arrival, as well as onwards assistance. TCNs, who are not nationals of the country in which they arrive may wish to return to their countries of origin. However, they might face challenges linked to the availability and accessibility of consular services, proper documentation, transportation means and conditions of dignified return and reintegration in their countries of origin. IOM is the lead agency supporting migrant returnees and TCNs who do not have international protection needs, together with government counterparts and relevant RRP sectors, ensuring complementarity across the response.
Without a resolution to the crisis, more people will be forced to flee in search of safety. In consultation with the concerned governments and partners, and in coordination with IOM for migrant projections, UNHCR undertook coordinated contingency planning for new arrivals (refugees, returning refugees and others, including third country nationals) to CAR, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Eritrea and Libya. The initial figure used for projections for financial and operational planning to cover people fleeing to CAR, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt is 1,062,000 individuals, including refugees, returnees and third country nationals. UNHCR is working handin-hand with IOM at several border crossings to help all people fleeing Sudan, to register those in need of protection, identify the most vulnerable and help determine the different population groups leaving the country.
In line with the Global Compact on Refugees4, this inter-agency Refugee Response Plan (RRP) aims to support the host countries in the region to lead and coordinate the response to the refugee outflow. This Plan for the Sudan refugee situation is developed in accordance with the Refugee Coordination Model (RCM) and builds on the initial RRP summary published on 4 May. It has been further detailed at country level and covers activities through October 2023. It outlines the multi-partner, multi-sector response strategy and financial requirements of 139 partners supporting the host Governments of the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan, to provide protection services and urgent humanitarian assistance to refugees from Sudan, South Sudanese Returnees (refugee returnees and returning migrants), Chadian Returnees (refugee returnees and returning migrants), Ethiopian returnees, refugees from other countries previously hosted in Sudan, and third country nationals – including those in need of international protection and others who want to return to their countries of origin, and impacted host communities. Further to the use of cash-based interventions, the Plan also lays the groundwork to put in place opportunities for refugees’ socioeconomic inclusion and support to host communities, which will be aligned with other relevant sustainable development plans, where in place.
RRP partners – including UN Agencies, national societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, national and international non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and civil society – developed this joint response plan in tandem with concerned host governments. It builds on the collective and coordinated work already being done in these countries and promotes an area- and needs-based approach.
Given the very fluid and volatile situation, with the number of new arrivals increasing daily, the RRP will continue to be revised and complemented with further activities and additional partners to scale up and/or adapt the inter-agency response depending on developments in the context and needs.