Sudanupdated 34m ago2 min read
Archive photoUNHCR and IOM Warn 15.4 Million in Sudan Face Shelter Crisis as Funding Runs Out
2 West Asian2 Western Mainstream1 OtherPhoto: USAID / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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15.4 million Sudanese urgently need emergency shelter and basic household items. Severe funding shortfalls threaten to deplete emergency shelter stocks and essential supplies.
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Shelter crisis as funds run low
UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration warned that an estimated 15.4 million people across Sudan urgently need emergency shelter and basic household items, but funding constraints mean humanitarian agencies can prioritize assistance for only about 10% of those in need. The UN agencies said that only 936,000 people have received assistance so far, leaving a large gap between needs and available resources as emergency shelter stocks run dangerously low.
IOM Sudan chief Mohamed Refaat told reporters in Geneva that the agency was struggling to maintain operations as resources dwindled, saying, "Just this year, IOM was able to distribute more than 40,000 tons, but our warehouses are completely empty now." The UN agencies said Sudan remains the world’s largest displacement crisis more than three years after war broke out in 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, with around 8.6 million people displaced within Sudan and more than 4.6 million having fled across borders.
Khartoum voices and the scale
Abu Bakr Galo, Deputy Representative of UNHCR in Sudan, told reporters in Geneva from Khartoum that three out of four displaced people in the country are women and children and that field teams hear stories characterized by a lack of privacy. Galo said, "For a woman who has lost everything, the meaning of a tent is not merely shelter; it represents the difference between sleeping outdoors surrounded by strangers and having a private space."
Reuters reported that IOM Sudan chief Mohamed Refaat said, "We decided to serve only one out of ten," and he added that even within the one out of ten, agencies could reach only 900,000 people with what they had. The UN agencies warned that without flexible funding, more families will have to endure the coming months without adequate protection from harsh weather, insecurity and the risks of violence and exploitation.
Plan shortfall and wider ripple
The UN agencies said Sudan’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requires US$2.9 billion to provide life-saving assistance to 20.4 million people out of the 33.7 million in need across the country. The UN agencies warned that the appeal remains severely underfunded, with only around 47 per cent of the required resources received, forcing humanitarian agencies to scale back essential services and prioritize the most urgent needs.
Mohamed Rifaat said the organization’s warehouses "have become completely empty now" and told reporters in Geneva that 16 trucks managed to reach Darfur yesterday, "but that was the last of our stock in our warehouses." Rifaat also warned that if the UN and IOM cannot provide wide-scale aid inside Sudan, neighboring countries and others will be affected, and he said, "Our failure in Sudan will not only affect Sudan internally;" while adding, "at least we can ensure they have a safe place to sleep tonight."