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UN-Egyptian Cooperation to Address Rising Number of Sudanese Refugees
With the increasing number of Sudanese arrivals in Egypt, the UN Refugee Agency is working closely with Egyptian authorities to accommodate around 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers who have fled the conflict in Sudan since April 2023.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian government, in collaboration with the United Nations and the European Union, launched a joint program to be implemented by the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization, under the framework of the Joint Platform for Refugees and Migrants.
According to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the program, supported by a €12.2 million grant from the European Union, will work with the Egyptian government to meet essential needs in health and education, and to enhance resilience and protection for the most vulnerable refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers living in Egypt, as well as their host communities.
Cairo estimates the number of refugees, migrants, and foreign residents on its territory to be over 9 million.
Ambassador Amr Al-Jowaily, Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security, stated that Egypt “adopts a comprehensive approach that allows the integration of migrants and refugees into Egyptian society through a policy of not establishing camps and providing essential services.”
He added: “We have high expectations that the program, with the valuable contributions of UN organizations and international partners, especially the European Union, will enhance coordination and direct funding to support national systems that provide essential services to migrants, refugees, and the host community, with a focus on education and healthcare, thereby integrating humanitarian and developmental dimensions.”
Egypt is one of the main host countries in the region but faces unprecedented challenges due to global displacement, according to Elena Panova, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt. She emphasized that the responsibility of caring for and protecting displaced persons cannot fall solely on Egypt, but requires a collective response from the international community and local partners.
Christian Berger, the head of the European Union delegation to Egypt, reaffirmed the EU’s continued support for Egypt’s efforts to improve services for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, as well as to strengthen the resilience of host communities and explore opportunities for resettlement and safe, legal pathways for refugees in Egypt to the EU.
The UN joint program is based on recommendations from a 2022 report analyzing the status of educational and healthcare services provided to migrants and refugees in Egypt. The program will ensure the continued availability of essential protection services for the most vulnerable refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, with host communities in selected areas also benefiting from it.
Cairo has expressed concern over the “immense burdens” it bears due to hosting millions on its soil. In May, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi spoke about the strain that “guests” — a term he often uses for migrants and refugees — place on his country’s limited resources, particularly water. He noted that they “consume about 4.5 billion cubic meters of water annually,” given Egypt’s average water consumption of 500 cubic meters per person, calling it a “significant burden.”
According to Hanan Hamdan, head of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Egypt, the country has received around 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan.
In a televised statement on Tuesday, Hamdan confirmed that coordination with Egypt is ongoing to accommodate the increasing number of Sudanese refugees. She added that registered refugees with the UNHCR number around 800,000 from various nationalities, the majority of whom are Sudanese.
Dr. Ayman Zohry, migration and refugee expert, told Asharq Al-Awsat that part of the European grant to Cairo is expected to support services provided by the Egyptian government to refugees, such as education and healthcare. Additionally, a portion may be allocated as direct financial or in-kind support, such as the distribution of food and other goods.
