The UN and its partners on Monday launched the 2025 humanitarian and refugee response plans for Sudan, appealing for a combined $6 billion to assist nearly 26 million people inside the country and in the region.
In a joint statement, the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, stressed that nearly two years of conflict have fueled a “catastrophic protection crisis” and displaced 12 million people in Sudan and across borders.
Underlining that nearly two-thirds of the population need emergency aid, and the country is facing famine conditions, they said the refugees in “dire need” arrive in neighboring countries where local resources are already stretched thin.
“Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions,” OCHA chief Tom Fletcher said in the release. “Famine is taking hold. An epidemic of sexual violence rages. Children are being killed and injured. The suffering is appalling. But our plan is a lifeline to millions.”
“We need to stop the fighting, the funding to deliver for the Sudanese people, and better access by land, sea and air to those who need help,” he said.
Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, for his part, stressed that “the consequences of this horrific and senseless conflict spread far beyond Sudan’s borders.”
“Neighbouring countries have shown great solidarity by welcoming refugees, even when more are arriving every day. But their resources are stretched – essentials such as water, shelter and health services are scarce – and Sudan needs urgent support,” Grandi said.
“The international community must step up and help, not just to ensure that emergency aid and life-saving protection can continue without disruption, but also to end the violence and restore peace to Sudan,” he added.
Famine conditions
According to the UN, famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan including displacement camps in Darfur and in the western Nuba Mountains, and “catastrophic hunger is expected to worsen by May” when the lean season begins.
The Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan aims to reach nearly 21 million vulnerable people with life-saving aid and protection, marking the highest number of people in any UN-coordinated plan this year, and requires $4.2 billion in support, the statement said.
To date, nearly 3.5 million people have sought safety in neighboring countries, further stretching already scarce services and resources, it added.
The Regional Refugee Response Plan will prioritize the delivery of life-saving assistance and protection, including emergency shelters, relocation from border areas to safer locations, psychosocial support, clean water, healthcare and education, the release said.
It said humanitarian partners will need $1.8 billion to not only support 4.8 million people in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Uganda but also to help host countries strengthen national services and implement programs that will help bring stability.
“Without immediate funding, two-thirds of refugee children will be denied access to primary education, threatening an entire generation. Up to 4.8 million refugees and host community members will continue to face severe food insecurity, with at least 1.8 million going without food assistance,” both agencies warned in the release. “Already strained health systems may collapse,” according to the statement.
In 2024, humanitarian organizations reached more than 15.6 million people across Sudan with $1.8 billion in support, it said, adding that assistance included food and livelihood support for more than 13 million people as well as water, sanitation and hygiene support, health and nutrition, and shelter assistance.
