Hundreds of Sudanese refugees continue to seek safety in Uganda as ongoing conflict in Sudan drives thousands from their homes. Among them is Mahassin Mohammed Ibrahim, who fled her hometown of El Fasher in North Darfur after enduring life-threatening violence.
Ibrahim recounted how her home was raided by members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in a deadly conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). During the attack, a grenade explosion left Ibrahim gravely injured, with shrapnel wounds to her abdomen and legs and a shattered arm. Despite the chaos, her son, mother, and brother sustained only minor injuries.
The 39-year-old mother fled El Fasher on a donkey cart with her family, navigating through checkpoints and ultimately crossing into Uganda via South Sudan after a perilous two-week journey. Now residing in Uganda’s Kiryandongo refugee settlement, she is one of many seeking refuge and basic humanitarian assistance.
Since January 2024, Uganda has welcomed nearly 120,000 refugees, including a significant number from Sudan, where an 18-month-long conflict has caused widespread devastation. Tens of thousands have been killed, over 11 million displaced, and the region now faces the world’s largest hunger crisis. Sudanese refugees account for more than a third of new arrivals at Kiryandongo.
At the settlement, humanitarian organisations, including the UNHCR and EU partners, provide critical support such as healthcare, food, shelter, and psychosocial services. However, Uganda’s resources are under strain as it remains the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, accommodating nearly 1.7 million people from across the continent.
Despite its progressive refugee policies, granting access to land, education, and jobs, Uganda faces dwindling global humanitarian assistance. The European Union has allocated over €36 million in aid for 2024 to support refugees and host communities, but the funding competes with other global crises, including Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan.
EU humanitarian programmes in Kiryandongo focus on both refugees and local populations, providing shared access to schools, medical care, and other essential services. Bruno Rotival, an EU humanitarian programme coordinator, emphasized efforts to involve local organizations in crisis response and maintain support despite limited resources.
As the conflict in Sudan rages on with no resolution in sight, Uganda’s role as a sanctuary for refugees underscores the growing challenges of balancing compassion with capacity in the face of global humanitarian crises.
