UNHCR in Egypt: Less than half of arrivals from Sudan registered

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The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Egypt stated that during the past week, it registered 9,100 new asylum seekers from Sudan, bringing the total number of registrants to over 193,000 since the beginning of the crisis. 15,694 individuals were given registration appointments, surpassing a total of 401,410 registration appointments since April 2023. This means that the UNHCR has registered 48% of the total number of asylum seekers in Egypt since the outbreak of the war in Sudan.

The UNHCR expressed concerns about the continuous increase in the number of people reporting illegal crossings into Egypt. However, it stated that it is working to enhance its capacity to meet the growing demand for registration.

The Information Hotline of the UNHCR in Egypt received 12,200 calls last week and scheduled registration appointments for 11,900 people who fled from Sudan. This brings the total number of individuals who obtained registration appointments through the information hotline system to 267,220. The statement mentioned that nine out of every ten people who contacted the UNHCR by phone last week were in Greater Cairo, while 5% were in Alexandria, and 2% were in Aswan.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the UNHCR revealed that during February alone, it registered 39,353 refugees and asylum seekers from all nationalities arriving from Sudan. This is the highest monthly number since the beginning of the Sudan crisis, representing an increase of about 10 times compared to pre-crisis levels.

The UNHCR noted that most of the newly registered individuals are Sudanese citizens, constituting 92% of all asylum seekers, followed by South Sudanese citizens at 3%, and Eritreans at 3%.

Furthermore, females make up the majority of newcomers, accounting for 53%, and the majority of newly registered individuals still come from Khartoum, representing 89%, with 21% of them having one or more persons with disabilities.