In April, violent clashes erupted in Sudan and resulted in yet another displacement crisis, many fleeing for the second time. Contributions from Finland enables UNHCR to scale up the response in Sudan and neighboring countries.
Eliza, 41, sits with her 4-month-old son at the UNHCR transit centre near the Joda border point in Renk, South Sudan. ©UNHCR
Recent armed clashes in Sudan, notably in Khartoum and Darfur, have forced almost 2 million people to flee, and over 500,000 people, the majority women and children, have sought safety in neighboring countries such as Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan*. Additionally, many more are confined to their homes, unable to access necessities.
Sudan has long been a host country and generously welcomed refugees, and prior to the recent violent conflicts, the country used to be home to more than 1 million refugees – the second highest refugee population in Africa.
The current conflict and violence are adding another layer of complexity to an already challenging humanitarian situation in Sudan, where almost 16 million people were estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance prior to the outbreak of conflict. Due to the recent developments in Sudan, the circumstances are deteriorating, and millions of people are without access to food, water, cash, health care, and other basic services.
Finnish contributions, both unearmarked and targeted, make it possible for UNHCR to scale up the humanitarian response and provide life-saving assistance, both inside Sudan and to newly arrived refugees in the region. In 2023, Finland have donated more than USD 20.8 million to UNHCR, and more than USD 3.1 million was earmarked to the Horn of Africa situation.
*For latest updates on figures, please see UNHCR’s operational data portal.
In Chad, most new arrivals are in remote areas with limited resources and infrastructure. UNHCR has so far delivered basic humanitarian aid to almost 10,000 families. This includes items such as mosquito nets, kitchen sets, blankets, and soap.
Many of the refugees arrive in neighboring countries bringing very little if any belongings. In Egypt, UNHCR has distributed 10,000 hygiene kits and 5,000 packs of sanitary napkins to newly arrived refugees. The kits contain for example soap, a towel, wipes, medical alcohol, and toothbrush with toothpaste.
UNHCR has handed out 140,800 bottles of water to the refugees arriving in Egypt, and in Chad several standpipes and water taps are installed. Safe drinking water is essential to life, health and dignity, and access to it is a basic human right.
UNHCR is supporting local governments in the neighboring countries with transporting and relocating the refugees to already existing camps and transit centers. In Chad, almost 10,000 refugees have already been relocated to a camp further away from the border, and more will be relocated in coming weeks.
Many of the newly arrived refugees have experienced traumatic episodes in Sudan or on their journey. As part of the registering of refugees, UNHCR is identifying the most vulnerable to be able to provide specialized protection interventions, psychosocial support, and other services.
UNHCR is working with the governments of the countries receiving refugees from Sudan as well as with humanitarian partners to ensure all the reception and transit centers have trained staff, providing health support but also psychosocial support, counselling as well as legal aid services if needed.
Including the voices and inputs from refugees themselves is always vital in an emergency. UNHCR has conducted focus group discussions with refugee leaders and community members, including recently arrived individuals from Sudan. Shelter, cash assistance, psycho-social support and health care are among the identified priorities for newcomers.
The security situation is still tense and volatile, with Khartoum, North Kordofan and Darfur being epicenters of the conflict. UNHCR, together with other UN agencies, continues to operate wherever access allows it, and prepares to scale up the operation and response everywhere in Sudan.
Finland as a donor:
Finland is a staunch supporter of UNHCR. In 2022, Finland donated more than USD 27.5 million to UNHCR with more than USD 8.2 million being unearmarked, and USD 4.3 million earmarked to the Horn of Africa situation. Unearmarked contributions let UNHCR react to protracted and forgotten crises. Thus far in 2023, Finland have donated more than USD 20.8 million to UNHCR’s response.
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
