Egypt.. Expelling Dozens of Sudanese Families because of (Rent)

Sudan Events – Agencies

The Egyptian authorities forcibly evacuated 50 Sudanese families, half of them children and women, from their homes in apartments in 6th October City, to the main street, under the pretext of their inability to pay the rent.
The affected Sudanese families were forced to sleep on the sidewalks of the streets for more than 10 days after they found themselves without shelter or food. They were also subjected to a series of violations before the evacuation, including being deprived of their rights as refugees, and being exposed to harassment, racism, bullying, neighbors’ protests, and other violations.
Sudanese refugees are facing cold waves and increasing rain without adequate mattresses and blankets, which has led to the spread of infections, colds and other health diseases, in addition to psychological trauma, and the difficulty of accessing basic services, in light of the non-existent response from UNHCR or organizations working in the humanitarian field.
According to the refugees’ testimonies, it turned out that the apartments in which they lived were under finishing and not yet completed and were rented to them at low prices by an Egyptian national affiliated with the Security and Intelligence Service. They reported that the eviction process was carried out through the security authorities, which shows a violation of their rights and the absence of appropriate legal procedures.
A twenty-year-old woman reported to Al-Taghyeer that she was subjected to an attempt at sexual harassment after she responded to a job advertisement, which highlights the danger of the current situation to the safety and security of individuals, especially women and girls, while girls who have not yet reached the age of eighteen are forced to work in cleaning work in the municipality.
A thirty-year-old woman accused humanitarian organizations of the negligence and neglect what refugees face when seeking support from institutions concerned with their protection and assistance such as UNHCR and its partners, such as the “Bastiq” organization, which is responsible for community and home psychosocial support services, case management, etc., which, according to the woman’s words, failed to cover housing needs, slow response, and a bureaucracy that she said was not compatible with the emergency situation.
As for the mother who arrived in Egypt by smuggling with her three children, one of whom suffers from a blood health problem, she lives in constant fear of being identified and returned to Sudan, as she has no identity papers or documents that would allow her to move around and access basic services such as health care. .
She is caught in a network of obstacles that prevent her from being able to work or even receive medical treatment for herself and her children. She told Al-Tagheer: I found myself and my children on the street just two weeks after I fled Sudan in a state of despair and destitution, without shelter or a source of income, and she appealed The authorities and the international community to consider her situation and that of refugees like her fleeing conflicts and crises, stressing the urgent need to provide protection and support, not only in meeting basic needs such as food and water, but also in ensuring access to health care and the opportunity to build a new life in dignity and safety.
Among the daily challenges that refugee women who were evacuated from their homes spoke about were the need for clean bathrooms to relieve themselves and access to sanitary pads during their menstrual cycle. They complained about being deprived of personal hygiene and how conditions forced them to work in waste collection while being exposed to racism.
In their interview with Al-Taghyeer, they demanded the need to provide safe shelter for them, whether that is through establishing shelter camps or evacuating to another country such as Libya, where there is a refugee camp.