Food & Climate
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that millions of Sudanese refugees who have fled to neighboring countries risk plunging deeper into hunger and malnutrition as critical funding shortages force drastic cuts to life saving food assistance.
Since conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023, more than 4 million people have fled to neighboring countries in search of food, shelter and safety, according to a statement that “Food & Climate” platform received.
WFP quickly mobilized to provide emergency assistance to refugees escaping to 7 neighboring countries. Food and cash, hot meals, and nutrition support have been provided in the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Uganda.
More hunger and malnutrition among Sudanese refugees
“This is a full-blown regional crisis that’s playing out in countries that already have extreme levels of food insecurity and high levels of conflict,” said Shaun Hughes, WFP’s Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan Regional Crisis.
Inside Sudan, WFP has worked to scale up assistance to reach over 4 million people per month – four times more than at the beginning of 2024. Vital support to new refugees in neighboring countries was also expanded; in Chad, WFP quadrupled warehouse capacity and expanded food pipelines to support the influx of refugees crossing from Darfur and to sustain cross-border operations into Sudan.
In Egypt and South Sudan, WFP scaled up cash assistance after the civil conflict began in 2023, enrolling eligible Sudanese families within hours of arrival to provide immediate support.
“Refugees from Sudan are fleeing for their lives and yet are being met with more hunger, despair, and limited resources on the other side of the border,” said Hughes. “Food assistance is a lifeline for vulnerable refugee families with nowhere else to turn.”
WFP is urging the international community to mobilise additional resources to sustain food and nutrition assistance for Sudan’s refugees and the host communities supporting them.
WFP needs just over US$200 million to sustain its emergency response for Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries for the next 6 months. An additional $575 million is needed for life-saving operations for the most vulnerable inside Sudan.
Countries hosting refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan
Central Africa Republic: WFP is supporting over 25,000 refugees and returnees who have fled the conflict in Sudan.
Chad: Chad hosts one of the largest and fastest growing refugee populations in Africa with nearly 1.4 million refugees. The country is experiencing enormous pressure on already limited resources as 860,000 refugees and 274,000 returnees have arrived since the Sudan crisis began more than two years ago. Around 1,000 refugees continue to arrive daily into Chad, mostly from North Darfur, numbers similar to the high rates seen at the beginning of the Sudan crisis.
Egypt: Around 1.5 million Sudanese affected by the crisis have arrived in Egypt since the conflict began two years ago, making it the largest host country for arrivals from Sudan, followed by South Sudan. In April, WFP was forced to reduce the number of Sudanese refugees, and refugees of other nationalities receiving food assistance (through cash-based transfers) from 235,000 to 200,000 people. This amounts to a 15 percent cut due to reduced funding. The amount of food refugees receive was also cut by 33 percent.
Another reduction in beneficiaries, from 200,000 to 170,000 people, followed in May 2025 – also due to funding constraints. In June, WFP had to further reduce the number of assisted beneficiaries to 150,000. If no additional funding is received, WFP will be forced to halt critical humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable people in August 2025. The total funding requirements until end of 2025 are US$20 million.
Ethiopia: WFP currently supports more than 800,000 refugees with cash and in-kind food assistance at 50 percent rations: 100,000 are Sudanese refugees, of which 20,000 are new arrivals in Amhara and Benishangul Gumuz region, where they receive full rations.
Libya: WFP is providing monthly food assistance and nutrition support to 50,000 refugees, most of whom have fled Sudan since the start of the war in 2023.
Uganda: Uganda is home to 1.9 million refugees, including 81,000 from Sudan. WFP supports over 660,000 refugees overall, down from 1.6 million supported by WFP in April with hot meals, food assistance, nutrition and livelihood programmes to boost self-reliance.
South Sudan: WFP has assisted 1 million of the 1.16 million new arrivals to South Sudan since the conflict began, of whom 365,000 are Sudanese refugees and the remainder South Sudanese returnees.