Sudan: Refugee Crisis and Challenges in Host Countries
- Human Rights Research Center
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
Author: Mathilde Guenin, MA
May 27, 2025
View the interactive visual report here on Tableau.
![Hundreds of newly arrived Sudanese refugees wait for a food distribution at the Kufrun site, Ouaddai region, in Chad. Most of those arriving are women and children, who were sheltering out in the open on April 29, 2023. [Image credit: Colin Delfosse/UNHCR]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e28a6b_35872c5d479f42c5a9a7e9f2379edb1a~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_49,h_27,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/e28a6b_35872c5d479f42c5a9a7e9f2379edb1a~mv2.png)
Two Years of Civil War in Sudan
The research will analyse the condition of Sudanese refugees fleeing the civil war to South Sudan, Chad and Egypt. Refugees, after escaping the horrors of war, are now facing many challenges. In South Sudan and Chad, many Sudanese have limited access to basic services due to the limited capacities and resources of the host countries. In Egypt, refugees who hoped for better opportunities face anti-refugee sentiments, making integration difficult.
Sudan’s Past, Today’s Crisis
In 1956, Sudan gained independence from Britain. However, the country experienced many internal conflicts, including two deadly civil wars that led to the creation of South Sudan in 2011.
Sudan was under the dictator Omar al-Bashir from 1989 to 2019. The regime was responsible for the genocide in Darfur from 2003 to 2008, where 400,000 people died. The Janjaweed militias participated in the genocide and were integrated into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in 2013. The RSF is a paramilitary group, operated by the government and commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019 by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the official military forces of Sudan. Afterward, the SAF and the RSF had to share power. The aim was to transition the country toward democracy. However, both parties could not agree on how to govern Sudan, which led to a new civil war in April 2023 (UNHCR, “Sudan Crisis Explained,” 2025).
Since then, Sudan has been experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises. Half the population is food insecure, 17 million children are out of school, and 12 million are at risk of sexual violence. Estimates suggest that around 150,000 people have been killed (New York Times, 2025). The number of internally displaced people reached 11.5 million in 2024.
A Forgotten War
The international aid has not been enough to address the crisis in Sudan. For instance, in 2024, $2.7 billion was needed, but only $1.6 billion was funded, which covers just 59% of the funds needed to assist the Sudan crisis. Due to the lack of global attention and support, many refer to the conflict as the "forgotten war". This year, over $4 billion is needed, but so far, only 10% has been funded (Humanitarian Action, 2025).
Sudan's Refugee Crisis
Many Sudanese took refuge in neighbouring countries like Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan. Over 770,000 Sudanese have fled to Chad, more than one million to South Sudan, and 1.5 million to Egypt (UNHCR, 2025).
Sudanese refugees search for better lives and opportunities in neighboring countries (UNHCR, 2024). However, these countries face their own issues such as political instability and economic challenges. For instance, both Chad and South Sudan rank among the most fragile States in the world on the Fragile States Index (FSI). The Index measures the vulnerability of states to collapse (Resource Watch, 2024). For both countries, it is extremely difficult to provide adequate support to Sudanese refugees while also addressing their own internal struggles. In Egypt, where refugees thought they could find better opportunities, the government is enacting new laws that make integration challenging.
South Sudan and Chad: Fragile Hosts
Chad and South Sudan are among the world’s most fragile states, ranking at the bottom of the Human Development Index. Both face alarming levels of hunger and high child mortality rates. With limited resources, international support is urgently needed to help both the host communities and the Sudanese refugees.
Why Does Fragility Persist?
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after two civil wars. The origin of the conflict goes back to British colonization (1899–1956). During that time, the north of Sudan (mostly Arab-Muslim) was developed, while the south (largely Christian) was neglected, which led to internal divides. Sudan gained independence in 1956, uniting the north and south. Two civil wars (1955–1972 and 1983–2005) started between the north and the south. A referendum was held in 2011, which led to the creation of South Sudan. But the new country soon fell into its own civil war (2013–2018). Today, South Sudan is one of the poorest countries, with 80% of its population living below the poverty line (Amnesty, 2024).
Chad has also been unstable since its independence from France in 1960. The country has been under authoritarian leaders like Hissène Habré and Idriss Déby. Both the regimes were marked by corruption and repression. Moreover, the conflicts in neighboring countries, like Libya, Sudan, and the Central African Republic, have also increased regional instability. Today, 42% of the population lives below the poverty line, and frequent droughts increase hunger and poverty (World Food Programme, 2024).
Sudan Refugee Response Plan
In addition to the ongoing challenges in Chad and South Sudan, funding for the 2024 Sudan Refugee Response Plan remains extremely low. Coordinated by UNHCR, the plan aims to support Sudanese refugees with food, shelter, and basic services in neighboring countries, but it remains underfunded. For instance, in 2024, Chad had received only 30% of the required funds, while South Sudan had secured just 28% to address the refugee crisis (Refugee Funding Tracker, 2024). Because of the lack of funding, refugee camps are struggling to provide essential services such as food and clean water. Both countries are facing severe humanitarian crises and urgently need international support. Their resources are not enough to meet domestic needs and to assist the Sudanese refugees.
But Chad has made progress in helping refugees become more self-sufficient. Through a progressive asylum law, refugees are allowed to work, providing a rare opportunity for economic stability and integration into society (Voice of America, 2025).
However, the situation in South Sudan is very concerning. The tensions between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar are sending the country toward another civil war. The 2018 peace agreement, which ended the civil war between the two leaders that had claimed around 400,000 lives, is now falling apart, following Machar’s arrest. Kiir has accused Machar of trying to launch a new rebellion. A new civil war would have terrible consequences for both South Sudanese and Sudanese refugees, leaving both groups to even more displacement and suffering (The Guardian, 2025).
Egypt: Discrimination, New Policies, and Anti-Refugee Sentiment
Egypt is home to the largest population of Sudanese refugees, about 1.5 million people. But anti-refugee sentiment has led to policies that discriminate against Sudanese refugees. Egypt has increased restrictions on the entry, residency, and employment of Sudanese refugees. Some have even been deported back to Sudan in the middle of the civil war.
Current Challenges Facing Sudanese Refugees in Egypt (Since April 2023)
Egypt exempted women, children under 16, and men over 50 from visa requirements. But in June 2023, these exemptions were revoked. All Sudanese nationals who enter Egypt must now obtain a visa. It led many refugees to cross the border irregularly, exposing them to the risks of being detained by the Egyptian authorities.
Egypt also suspended the 2004 Four Freedoms Agreement, which had allowed Sudanese nationals the rights to freedom of movement, residence, work, and property ownership. As a result, Sudanese refugees now face financial difficulties, struggling to find a place to live, work, and get education for their children. Without proper documents, many must work in exploitative informal jobs in sectors like cleaning, construction, and street vending.
Sudanese refugees also face police checks, arbitrary detention, and the constant threat of deportation. While deportation is illegal under the principle of non-refoulement (which prohibits the forced return of individuals to countries where they face human rights violations), around 18,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly Sudanese, were deported in 2024. Egypt signed the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and hence is expected to respect this principle but is not currently doing so (Refugees International, 2025).
The European Union has agreed to provide Egypt with €7.2 billion in funding for economic stabilization, migration management, green energy initiatives, and social development. Many see this as a plan to reduce migration to Europe. The Green Party members in the European Parliament proposed linking the funding to improvements in Egypt’s human rights, but this suggestion was rejected by other parties (EU News, 2025). Egypt scores just 0.35 on the Rule of Law Index, so concerns persist about how this money will be used. Critics argue that the funding could help Egypt to restrict refugees rights even more, making the lives of Sudanese refugees present in the country even more difficult (Refugees International, 2025).
Downloadable version below.
Glossary
Genocide in Darfur: Refers to the mass killing and displacement of ethnic groups in the Darfur region of Sudan, particularly targeting the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa peoples, by the Sudanese government and militias between 2003 and 2008.
Janjaweed militias: The term Janjaweed refers to the armed groups of the Arabs of Darfur and western Sudan. The militia group is often accused of carrying out atrocities such as during the Darfur genocide and working with the Sudanese government to target non-Arab ethnic groups.
Green Party: It brings green national parties together in the European Parliament which share the same green values; for instance, fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity and protecting democracy and freedoms.
European Parliament: The European Parliament is the EU's law-making body. It is directly elected by EU voters every 5 years.
Rapid Support Forces (RSF): A paramilitary group in Sudan, initially formed from Janjaweed militias, that has played a significant role in the Sudanese conflict, including during the Darfur genocide.
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): The national military of Sudan, involved in multiple conflicts, including the Darfur genocide and the ongoing Sudanese Civil War.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): People who are forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, or disasters but remain within their country’s borders.
Food Insecurity: A person is food insecure when they lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life. This may be due to unavailability of food and/or lack of resources to obtain food.
Refugees: Individuals who flee their country due to fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, and seek refuge in another country.
Civil War: A war between groups within the same country, often over issues such as governance, resources, or ethnic and religious conflict.
Asylum: The protection granted to individuals in a foreign country due to a fear of persecution in their home country, based on criteria like race, religion, nationality, or political opinion.
Droughts: Prolonged periods of low rainfall, leading to water shortages and crop failure.
Poverty Line: The threshold below which an individual or household is considered to be living in poverty, typically measured in terms of income, access to basic needs, and standard of living.
Refugee Response Plan: A coordinated international effort to provide protection and assistance to refugees, including food, shelter, medical care, and legal support, often led by agencies like the UNHCR.
The Refugee Funding Tracker (RFT) was developed by UNHCR to track financial data related to refugee programmes. At present, it covers inter-agency budgets and funding for refugee-related appeals and plans such as Country and Regional Refugee Response Plans (RRPs). Available data includes funding received by partners involved in and appealing for funds in refugee responses.
Fragile States Index: A ranking that assesses the stability of countries based on indicators such as political instability, corruption, economic fragility, and violence. Countries that score highly are considered fragile or at risk of collapse.
Hunger Index: The Hunger Index measures hunger and food insecurity in a country. Countries are grouped into categories based on their score:
Extremely alarming: score over 50 (currently no countries fall in this category)
Alarming: 35 to 49.9
Serious: 20 to 34.9
Moderate: 10 to 19.9
Low: less than 9.9
Human Development Index (HDI): Measure a country’s average achievements in three basic aspects of human development: life expectancy, education (mean and expected years of schooling), and per capita income. HDI scores range from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating higher levels of development.
Refugee Convention 1951: The United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which defines who is a refugee, their rights, and the legal obligations of states to protect them, and the 1967 Protocol that expanded its scope.
Rule of Law Index: The Index captures the extent to which the government complies with the law, courts are independent, laws transparent, justice accessible, corruption absent, and the bureaucracy is impartial. It ranges from 0 to 1. (1 means full respect for the rule of law)
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