Sudanese refugees in South Sudan and Uganda face worsening humanitarian crisis

Sudanese refugees in Ugandan and South Sudanese camps are enduring dire conditions as food subsidies shrink and financial support fails to cover basic needs, according to sources in the camps.

Mahjoub Hassoun, a refugee and journalist in the Wedweil Refugee Camp, told Radio Dabanga that food rations previously included two lots of corn and an equivalent of rice. Since early 2026,  the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) replaced these rations with a monthly cash allocation of SSP68,000 per person, or a food ration of two million units of corn and rice for families of eight or more.

“The value is equivalent to about SDG34,000, about USD10 which is far from enough to cover one person’s monthly food and drink needs, let alone a family’s,” Hassoun said.

He warned that hunger has deepened social crises in the camp. Some young people have been forced into illegal work, while others leave the camp on foot, either returning to Sudan despite the ongoing war or attempting to reach neighbouring countries. “Many refugees prefer to return to Sudan, despite the dangers of war, rather than face a slow death in the camps,” Hassoun said.

Refugees also face strict movement restrictions, requiring official permission to leave the camps, which limits access to jobs or ways to improve living conditions. Hassoun called on UNHCR to review its food support policies and urged humanitarian agencies to step up aid immediately.

Uganda’s Kiryandongo Camp

Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo refugee camp in Western Uganda, are facing similar hardships as Ramadan approaches. Hassan Abuh, from the camp’s leadership office, told Radio Dabanga that food shortages are more severe this year.

Families rely on the community kitchens, which the leadership office has been supporting, while seeking charity aid to provide basic foods for Ramadan, including dates, lentils, flour, oil, onions, and salt.

Abuh noted that no aid has arrived yet, raising anxiety among refugees, many of whom have missed food rations for months. Water scarcity compounds the crisis, with technical failures, fuel shortages, and increased demand causing long queues at distribution points.

Despite these challenges, schools in the camp are preparing to reopen, and security has improved thanks to local authorities and police, offering some relief to families under severe economic pressure.