The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned of worsening conditions for Sudanese refugees in Egypt amid a severe funding shortage that threatens the suspension of humanitarian assistance programs in the coming weeks.
UNHCR spokesperson in Egypt, Christine Beshay, said that around 850,000 Sudanese have fled to Egypt since the outbreak of the war, while the total number of refugees in the country had risen to more than 1.1 million by the end of April 2026.
She explained that declining funding has reduced the monthly support allocated to each refugee from 11 dollars to only 4 dollars.
She also noted that the cash assistance program has received only 2 percent of the required funding, resulting in the number of beneficiary families being cut by more than half.
UNHCR stressed that most of the affected households are headed by women who face growing difficulties in providing food, education, and healthcare for their children.
The agency warned that the suspension of support would force many families to make “harsh choices” between feeding their children and keeping them in school.
At the same time, UNHCR pointed to signs of support from the private sector through the provision of training and employment opportunities for refugees, helping them acquire new skills and improve their living conditions.
