Sudanese Refugees in Egypt Forced to Choose Between Feeding Their Children and Educating Them

Moatinoon – Follow-ups
Source: UN News
Sudanese mother and widow Nawal*—who sought refuge in Egypt—struggles to meet the basic needs of her six children, who do not receive adequate nutrition. Her youngest child is also frequently ill. Nawal is one of approximately 850,000 Sudanese who have fled to Egypt to escape the ongoing conflict in their homeland, now in its fourth year.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), acting under a mandate from the Egyptian government, assists refugees in rebuilding their lives through a range of services, including registration and refugee status determination, according to Christine Beshay, UNHCR spokesperson in Egypt, in a statement to UN News.

Beshay explained that UNHCR also provides protection services, healthcare support, education assistance, child protection services, psychosocial support, and cash assistance for the most vulnerable families, including Nawal’s.

However, the support received by refugees and asylum seekers remains under serious threat due to what Beshay described as a severe funding shortfall. This is not only due to recent changes in humanitarian and development funding flows, but also because the total number of refugees in Egypt has risen sharply—from 300,000 three years ago to more than 1.1 million by the end of April 2026.

In 2025, funding levels remained roughly the same as in 2022—before the Sudan crisis erupted.

Beshay stated: “The per capita funding available for each refugee has dropped from 11 to just 4. Even the 11 was not sufficient to cover all basic needs. Now, with the increase in refugee numbers and reduced funding, the support we can provide has diminished significantly.”

A Program at Risk of Suspension
Nawal is among the beneficiaries of UNHCR’s cash assistance program, receiving around 1,520 Egyptian pounds (approximately 29) per month. She also works part-time. However, this is not enough, forcing her to enroll only three of her children in school, while her eldest son has dropped out to care for his siblings while she works.

Beshay noted that UNHCR often prefers to provide cash assistance to refugee families, enabling them to make dignified choices about how to meet their needs—whether for rent, food, education, or healthcare.

However, she warned that the cash assistance program has received only 2% of the required funding, leading to a reduction in the number of beneficiary families by “more than half.” She added: “The program is at risk of shutting down if we do not receive additional support in the coming weeks.”

She continued: “Most families receiving cash assistance are headed by women, and typically have school-age children. When this support stops, mothers are forced to make extremely difficult decisions: whether to feed their children or send them to school. Moreover, when there is only one breadwinner—often the mother—she cannot maintain regular employment to secure a stable income for the family.”

Training and Job Opportunities
The UNHCR spokesperson in Egypt emphasized that the agency is working with various stakeholders—including donors, local development partners, and government entities—to provide support for refugees.

Beshay said: “We have recently seen a positive development in the private sector, where companies, through their corporate social responsibility initiatives, have begun offering support, whether through training or job opportunities.”

She added that this opens “new horizons” for refugees and asylum seekers to build their capacities and acquire new skills that will help them contribute to rebuilding their country when they are able to return safely and with dignity.