United Nations agencies have said that 15.4 million people in Sudan are in urgent need of shelter, as a funding shortage is hampering relief efforts.
United Nations agencies have said that 15.4 million people in Sudan are in urgent need of shelter, as a funding shortage is hampering relief efforts. The UNHCR and IOM warned that amid a severe funding shortfall, humanitarian organizations can priorities assistance for only 10% of those in need. The two UN agencies warned on Friday that an estimated 15.4 million people in Sudan urgently require emergency shelter and essential household items. However, a severe lack of funding threatens to leave millions without assistance.
In a joint statement, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said humanitarian organizations had sufficient resources to prioritise assistance for only 10% of those in need. The agencies said that so far, only 936 people had received assistance, leaving millions without adequate shelter or basic necessities. They warned that emergency shelter supplies were running dangerously low and that, without immediate funding, more displaced families would face harsh weather conditions, insecurity, and increased risks of violence and exploitation. According to the statement, Sudan is facing the world’s largest displacement crisis, with approximately 8.6 million people internally displaced and more than 4.6 million having fled to neighbouring countries.
Meanwhile, more than 2.5 million people have returned to their areas of origin, many of them finding their homes, infrastructure and essential services destroyed or unavailable. The agencies said ongoing fighting, insecurity and drone attacks were driving further displacement and restricting humanitarian operations. Sudan’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requires $2.9 billion to assist 20.4 million people out of a total of 33.7 million in need. However, only around 47% of the required funding has been received. The UNHCR and IOM have called for urgent and flexible funding to maintain the provision of emergency shelter and prevent further deterioration of humanitarian conditions. It is worth noting that Sudan has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
