Conditions of Sudanese Refugees … A Cry in The Wilderness

Report by Nahid Oshi

Winter is one of the seasons of the year in which spending on clothing, medicine, and food increases, as people need winter supplies to a greater extent, particularly those Sudanese who came to the Arab Republic of Egypt after the April 15 War. Some of them are waiting for support from relatives working abroad, and some have submitted asylum application papers with the UN High Commissioner for Refugee (HCR) Support.
Partner organizations:
According to statistics published by the United Nations, the 10 top ten partner orgnizations are working with UNHCR to provide support for refugees in Egypt.
Although there are no detailed official statistics by Egypt regarding the number of Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated them to stand at 85,995 refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan. This does not include the increasing number of refugees illegally arriving to the country.
The United Nations Refugee Support Organization pays 700 pounds per person, and the amount may be increased after evaluating the files for each refugee. The amount increases for special cases, the sick, and the elderly in addition to providing food items such as rice, Sugar, Oil, pasta, and some winter clothes and blankets, but none of these items exceeds one kilogram for each item, which does not meet the needs of one family. Also, some partner organizations of the United Nations, such as the Catholic Organization support education providing not more than one thousand Egyptian pounds per student annually, in addition to the medical services provided by the Egyptian Red Crescent Organization.
Increasing numbers of refugees:
With the increase in the number of Sudanese refugees, some of them began to live in the worst conditions, suffering from a severe shortage of food and winter supplies, and an increased need for basics such as heaters, blankets, winter clothes, food, and medicines for colds. A number of refugees suffer from a lack of these needs, placing them at serious risks.
Nada Abdul Baqi, who lives in Giza Governorate, complained about Sudanese civil society organizations that do not provide any support to Sudanese refugees, despite the fact that many of them have promised to provide assistance with the onset of winter, collecting, to this end personal data, but so far they have not fulfilled their promises.
She stated that the Sudanese refugees are living in a bad conditions. The severity of poverty, particularly with the onset of winter, the refugees are hit hard by the lack of important food supplies, particularly sugar, given the recent high increase in its prices. A number of appeals were made for the Sudanese civil society organizations and relevant authorities to move in and help the stranded Sudanese overcome their current plight abroad and meet their basic livelihood needs.
Fatima Al-Nour stated that they spend long hours on the sidewalks waiting for organizations that provide assistance, and this waiting exposes them to violations, beatings, and humiliation
Ahmed Obaidullah pointed to the problems that refugees suffer from, which include the difficulty of obtaining refugee status, which exposes them to violations due to the increase in the number of refugees and the crowding of the outlets in the organization to obtain the yellow card
Hoda Abdullah said that the Sudanese are living in their worst condition and that they are suffering from increased rents that have exceeded 2,000 Egyptian pounds for unfurnished apartments in popular neighborhoods, in addition to water and electricity fees, which exceed 200 pounds per month for electricity and 100 pounds for water. She called on officials in Sudan to strive to stop the war so that the Sudanese can return to their country and engage in reconstruction and build a new Sudan.