Population figures
Total country population
49,358,228
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
865,510
Asylum-seekers:
43,805
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
10,540,215
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
0
Host community
27,282
Others of concern to UNHCR
3,392
Country context
Sudan is situated at the northeastern corner of the Horn of Africa, bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic and Chad to the southwest, and Libya to the northwest.
Refugee populations in Sudan include South Sudanese, Eritreans, Ethiopians, Yemenis and Central African nationals. Prior to 2023, many were settled in camps in eastern states—such as Tunaydbah and Shagarab—as well as in urban areas under civil-residency provisions. Since the outbreak of widespread hostilities in April 2023, large-scale displacement has affected both refugees and Sudanese nationals. Those fleeing into Sudan from neighbouring countries now undergo prima facie recognition in certain regions, while others submit full individual claims under the 2014 Act. Refugees are accommodated in a mix of camps, reception centres and host communities, with freedom of movement conditional on the region of registration.
...Accession to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol introduced international standards for asylum, subsequently reflected in the Asylum (Organization) Act of 2014, which for the first time set out formal procedures for status determination, defined the rights and obligations of recognized refugees and asylum-seekers, and exempted applicants from penalties for irregular entry. While implementing regulations have elaborated application processes and institutional roles, the Act continues to restrict freedom of movement for refugees in certain regions. No dedicated domestic statute addresses statelessness, despite Sudan’s ratification of the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions, leaving individuals without nationality to rely on general immigration law for documentation and reside under temporary or ad hoc arrangements.
Internally displaced persons have no distinct legal category. Displacements triggered by armed conflict, natural hazards or development projects are managed under emergency decrees and general civil-law compensation frameworks rather than a specialized IDP law. A draft National Policy on Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons circulated in 2019 has not entered into force, and administrative support continues to be delivered through existing humanitarian and social-welfare mechanisms.
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