Funding crisis forces UNHCR to halt refugee aid in Egypt

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has suspended critical medical aid for refugees in Egypt due to a funding shortfall, AFP reports citing a statement from the agency. The halt affects 20,000 patients, including those needing cancer treatment and heart surgeries. Only emergency life-saving procedures will continue.

Last year, UNHCR received less than half of the $135 million required to support over 939,000 registered refugees, most of whom fled Sudan’s ongoing war. With donor contributions uncertain, UNHCR warns that many vulnerable refugees, including unaccompanied children and survivors of violence, face worsening conditions.

Egypt hosts more than 1.5 million Sudanese refugees, of whom 670,000 registered with UNHCR. Many arrived with pre-existing health conditions after Sudan’s healthcare system collapsed following the April 2023 conflict. Without immediate funding, UNHCR says it faces “impossible choices” over which life-saving programs to sustain, with Sudanese refugees bearing the brunt of the consequences.