UN agencies warn 15.4M in Sudan face shelter crisis as funds dry up

The UN Refugee Agency and International Organization for Migration warned on Friday that an estimated 15.4 million people in Sudan urgently require emergency shelter and essential household supplies — yet severe funding shortages threaten to halt assistance to the vast majority of those displaced by the ongoing conflict.

Funding crisis threatens shelter assistance

UNHCR and IOM said humanitarian organizations currently possess sufficient resources to prioritize assistance for only 10 percent of those in need. So far, just 936,000 people have received assistance, leaving millions without adequate shelter or basic necessities. The agencies warned that emergency shelter stocks were running dangerously low and that without urgent funding, more displaced families would face harsh weather, insecurity and heightened risks of violence and exploitation.

World's largest displacement crisis

Sudan remains the world's largest displacement crisis, with approximately 8.6 million people internally displaced and more than 4.6 million having fled to neighboring countries. Meanwhile, more than 5.2 million people have returned to their areas of origin, many finding their homes, infrastructure and essential services damaged or destroyed. Continued fighting, insecurity and drone attacks were driving further displacement and restricting humanitarian operations, the agencies noted.

Humanitarian appeal remains underfunded

Sudan's 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requires $2.9 billion to assist 20.4 million people out of 33.7 million in need, but only around 47 percent of the required funding has been received. UNHCR and IOM called for urgent, predictable and flexible funding to maintain emergency shelter supplies and prevent further deterioration of humanitarian conditions. Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.