Sudanese crisis overwhelms neighboring countries due to lack of funding! What could be done?

The UNHCR has expressed its extreme dismay at the private sector’s seeming reluctance to provide adequate funding for humanitarian aid in the wake of fighting in Sudan.

Over the past month, approximately 200,000 refugees have fled to Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

However, the upcoming rainy season is expected to cut off essential roads, posing significant challenges to relief efforts in the region.

Despite the urgency of this crisis, already stretched budgets in neighbouring countries and meagre support from the global private sector make it challenging for displaced Sudanese people to receive the necessary support.

UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado spoke out about the lack of involvement from the private sector in providing financial donations through the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and a “flash appeal.”

The fighting in Sudan began while neighbouring countries were already struggling to provide for their humanitarian needs, and operations in those countries had only received up to 15% of the required funding.

If this situation persists, relief aid could dry up, posing a significant risk to refugees and internally displaced people.

The UNHCR’s call for support is primarily for shelter, water, and medicine. The worst fear is that with the onset of the rainy season, access to border roads will become impossible, and aid will become an even greater logistical challenge.