Sudan, South Sudan and DRC Drive Major Displacement in Africa, UNHCR Says

NAIROBI — Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo remain major sources of cross-border displacement in Africa, with millions of people seeking refuge in neighbouring countries after years of conflict, according to United Nations refugee data.

Sudan’s war has produced one of the world’s largest displacement crises, with nearly 3.8 million Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers recorded globally at the end of 2025, up 35% from a year earlier, UNHCR data shows.

Neighbouring countries hosted 96% of those refugees and asylum-seekers, underscoring the regional impact of the conflict. Chad hosted about 1.3 million, followed by Egypt with 834,200, South Sudan with 571,100 and Libya with 552,100.

The war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has also driven millions from their homes within Sudan. UNHCR said about 9.1 million people remained internally displaced in the country at the end of 2025, despite more than 2.8 million internally displaced people returning to areas where fighting had eased.

South Sudan is another major source of displacement. UNHCR data shows that 2.48 million South Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers were living outside the country as of July 31, 2026.

Uganda hosted the largest number, with about 1.04 million, followed by Sudan with 682,156, Ethiopia with 483,936 and Kenya with 210,548.

The displacement has been compounded by renewed violence inside South Sudan, where conflict and insecurity continue to force people from their homes and across borders.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, prolonged conflict, particularly in the east, has similarly driven large-scale population movements. UNHCR recorded 1.24 million Congolese refugees and asylum-seekers at the end of 2025, while millions more remained displaced inside the country.

The figures illustrate the increasingly regional nature of Africa’s displacement crises, with countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan simultaneously hosting refugees while dealing with their own displacement pressures.

At the global level, 65% of refugees and other people in need of international protection were living in neighbouring countries at the end of 2025, according to UNHCR. Low- and middle-income countries hosted 68% of the world’s refugees and other people requiring international protection.

The figures highlight the pressure placed on countries receiving people fleeing conflict at a time when humanitarian funding remains constrained, with UNHCR reporting that its funding covered only 37% of its assessed needs in 2025.