Egypt – A stifling funding crisis threatens to cut off the lifeline of thousands of refugees

The Commission stated that it had already been forced to stop cash assistance to more than half of these families since the beginning of the year, as it had received only 2% of the budget required for this program for the year 2026.

She added that the families most affected will be those who fled the war in Sudan, which today enters its fourth year and continues to cause the largest displacement crisis in the world.

The Commission stressed that for many refugee families, cash assistance represents the last line of defense to avoid falling into extreme destitution, but it acknowledged that even this limited support does not exempt them from having to make harsh decisions on a daily basis.

Nawal, a widowed Sudanese mother of six who lives in Cairo, receives 1,520 Egyptian pounds per month (equivalent to $28) and works part-time, but she is still unable to meet her family’s needs.

She said: “I can only enroll three of my six children in school. My eldest son left his education to take care of his siblings while I worked. No child should have to live this reality, but what options do I have? My children do not get enough food, and my youngest is constantly sick, but I cannot afford his treatment because I fear I will be kicked out of the house.”

UNHCR said that these painful equations have become a daily reality for many Sudanese refugees. She pointed out that since the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023, the number of Sudanese refugees registered in Egypt has increased fourteen times to reach more than 846 thousand people, making Egypt the largest host country for those fleeing Sudan, as well as the largest country receiving new asylum requests globally.

However, the level of funding has not increased to keep pace with these needs, but has remained almost the same since 2022, that is, before the outbreak of the Sudan crisis, which means that the already limited resources are now distributed over much larger needs.

To maintain the minimum level of cash support, the Commission said it needs about ten million dollars to help 20,000 of the most needy families – about 87,000 people – until the end of the year. She stressed that even then, this represents only a limited portion of the more than 200,000 refugees in dire need in Egypt who cannot meet their basic needs without external support.