UN: 15.4 million people in Sudan urgently need housing, but funding covers only 10% of them

The world's largest displacement crisis faces an acute funding shortfall

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned in a joint statement on Friday that about 15.4 million people in Sudan urgently need emergency shelter and basic household items, but a severe funding shortage threatens to halt aid to millions. According to the agencies, humanitarian organizations have enough resources to provide priority assistance to only 10% of those in need, and so far only 936,000 people have received help, Anadolu reports.

Scale of the crisis and state of funding

According to the agencies' estimates, about 8.6 million people are displaced within Sudan and more than 4.6 million have fled to neighboring countries, making it the world's largest displacement crisis. At the same time, more than 5.2 million people have returned to their areas of origin, where many found destroyed homes, infrastructure, and a lack of basic services. The agencies noted that ongoing fighting, insecurity, and drone attacks are driving new displacement and restricting humanitarian work. Emergency shelter supplies are running out, and without urgent funding, more displaced families will face harsh weather, insecurity, and heightened risks of violence and exploitation.

What is lacking and what the agencies are asking for

Sudan's 2026 humanitarian plan requires $2.9 billion to assist 20.4 million people out of 33.7 million in need, but only about 47% of the required funds have been received. UNHCR and IOM called for urgent, predictable, and flexible funding to maintain emergency shelter stocks and prevent further deterioration. The conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has been ongoing since April 2023; according to the agencies, it has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.