Sudanese families, numbering around 22,000 people, struggle to survive under conditions where even basic needs are met with great difficulty at Al-Affad Refugee Camp in Al-Dabbah, Sudan on January 13, 2026. [Muhammed Emin Canik – Anadolu Agency]
An estimated 15.4 million people in Sudan urgently need emergency shelter and essential household supplies, but severe funding shortages threaten to halt assistance to millions, two UN agencies warned Friday, Anadolu reports.
In a joint statement, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said humanitarian organizations have sufficient resources to prioritize assistance for only 10% of those in need.
So far, just 936,000 people have received assistance, leaving millions without adequate shelter or basic necessities, the agencies said.
They 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.
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, according to the statement.
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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.
The agencies said continued fighting, insecurity and drone attacks were driving further displacement and restricting humanitarian operations.
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% 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 (RSF) since April 2023, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.
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