UNHCR: Egypt needs international support as major host of Sudanese refugees
UNHCR: Egypt needs international support as major host of Sudanese refugees
During her visit to UNHCR’s reception centre in 6th of October City, Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, met refugee families and heard their stories.
Cairo – 6 November 2025 – Egypt must be commended and better supported for providing a safe haven to over a million of the region’s most vulnerable refugees in exceptionally challenging circumstances. Having been hardest hit by conflict, refugees continue to face precarious conditions amid severe funding shortfalls, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, said today.
Concluding a two-day visit to Egypt, Menikdiwela urged greater support for the country as a host and an inclusive and equitable access to lifesaving services for all refugees in Egypt.
Refugee numbers in Egypt have tripled since the onset of the Sudan crisis in April 2023. The total number of people registered with UNHCR now stands at 1.06 million, three-quarters from Sudan.
Despite this, alarming humanitarian funding cuts are threatening UNHCR’s ability to adequately respond. “UNHCR has been forced to close two of its three registration centers. By the end of this year, UNHCR Egypt will have nearly the same level of financial resources as in 2022 — before the Sudan crisis. Monthly assistance for each refugee has dropped from $11 in 2022 to just $4 in 2025,” she emphasized.
Menikdiwela held high-level meetings with officials and partners to discuss the challenges for Egypt and refugees here. She met with the Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security, H.E. Amr Aljowaily. “Amid strong economic headwinds, Egypt has demonstrated remarkable solidarity by continuing to welcome people fleeing danger. Refugees remember acts of solidarity for generations and this commitment to providing protection and preserving dignity will be remembered. It is deeply valued by UNHCR,” she said.
Menikdiwela said Egypt’s new asylum law “marks an important milestone in strengthening the national protection system, and UNHCR stands ready to further support its implementation so that those seeking safety can access their rights fully, without discrimination, and in line with international protection standards.”
She also met with the Director General of the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding, Amb. Seif Kandeel. Discussions centred on regional peace and stabilisation efforts, and designing sustainable development-oriented responses to displacement challenges. “The crisis in Sudan has created the world’s largest displacement crisis, with war continuing to convulse the country. Peacebuilding efforts like those championed here in Egypt are essential for millions of people to one day have the chance to return home in safety,” she noted.
Menikdiwela also visited UNHCR’s reception centre in Cairo, where she spoke with refugee families who shared personal accounts of displacement and their concerns amid the growing impact of funding constraints. “Despite extraordinary resilience, refugees are bearing the brunt of declining humanitarian resources. Increased international support is urgently needed for the benefit of us all in a fast-changing, less stable world,” she said.
Meeting donors, she called for urgent action to close funding gaps that threaten life-saving services. “Egypt cannot shoulder these challenges alone and it is heartening to see that many countries recognize its challenges. Large-scale displacement requires a global response, for all of our societies.”
UNHCR continues to work closely with the Government of Egypt, humanitarian partners and donors to ensure refugees and asylum-seekers are protected and supported, while advocating for sustained and equitable international funding to meet growing needs.
