Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) showed an increase in the number of Sudanese refugees entering Libya since the outbreak of the Sudanese civil war in April 2023, reflecting the need for more humanitarian assistance for refugees and migrants in Libya.
"It is estimated that over 210,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in Libya since April 2023. This includes 36,290 individuals who were registered post-conflict, bringing the total number of Sudanese by UNHCR at its registration centre in Tripoli to 55,828.
Authorities in Alkufra reported issuing 125,020 health certificates this year with approximately 173,000 Sudanese arriving through Alkufra alone, averaging 400 to 500 new arrivals per day." UNHCR said in a statement.
It added that due to the irregular nature of entry, the ad hoc data shared by authorities, and the vast remote land border with Chad, Egypt, and Sudan, combined with movements towards cities along the coast, it remains challenging to provide an accurate number of Sudanese refugees.
However, UNHCR pointed out the difficulty of recording the exact numbers of Sudanese refugees in Libya due to the nature of irregular entry into the country, the random data provided by local authorities, the vast land borders linking Sudan with Libya and Egypt, in addition to the continuous movement of refugees towards coastal cities, which increases the difficulty of recording the numbers accurately. It also confirmed the increasing humanitarian needs as a result of the continued arrival of Sudanese, especially in the areas of health, water and sanitation, cash, food and shelter.
