The United Nations Refugee Agency’s increasing number of refugees fleeing to Europe cited a new concern as humanitarian conditions in the region deteriorated and reduced aid support.
According to the United Nations, more than a thousand Sudanese have arrived or tried to reach Europe in the first few months of 2025 alone.
The surge reflects the despair of the displaced population affected by ongoing conflict between the Sudanese military and the Paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF).
The two-year war is estimated to be displaced by 12 million people, a situation that UN officials describe as the world’s most devastating humanitarian crisis. While some refugees have returned to Khartoum, they are still in neighboring countries such as Egypt and Chad, where critical services are now shrinking.
This includes a reduction in aid funding in the United States currently under review.
UNHCR spokesman Olga Sarrado told reporters in a briefing in Geneva that 484 Sudanese refugees arrived in Europe in January and February, an increase of 38 per cent compared with the same period last year.
She also noted that about 937 people were intercepted or rescued at sea and returned to Libya, more than double the number recorded in early 2024.
“With the collapse of humanitarian aid, if the war does not ease, there are more options, no choices,” Sarado warned.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that migrant deaths reached record highs last year, and dangerous sea routes in the Mediterranean remain one of the world’s deadliest border crossings.
Human rights groups and aid agencies continue to call for urgent global intervention to prevent further loss of life and mitigate the worsening refugee crisis.
