The United States has contributed more than $24 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide food assistance for more than 150,000 vulnerable refugees and crisis-affected people in Egypt, as humanitarian needs continue to rise following the conflict in Sudan.
The funding will enable WFP to maintain monthly food assistance for the most food-insecure refugees and restore assistance levels that were reduced in November due to funding shortages, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.
The support is also expected to strengthen local markets in communities hosting refugees by sustaining demand for food and essential goods.
Egypt has become one of the main destinations for people fleeing the conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023. According to WFP, the country hosts more than one million registered refugees and asylum seekers, the majority of them Sudanese.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has estimated that Egypt is home to around 9 million migrants and refugees from 133 countries, including about 4 million Sudanese nationals. Government officials have also said that more than 1.5 million Sudanese have entered Egypt since the outbreak of the conflict.
Many refugee families are struggling with rising living costs, limited income opportunities and prolonged displacement, increasing their reliance on humanitarian assistance.
“The economic pressures refugees are facing today make this support more critical than ever,” said Rawad Halabi, WFP Egypt Country Director and Representative.
“For many families, WFP assistance is not just support. It is their only lifeline. Thanks to the continued generosity of the United States, we are able to help families access the food they need and protect their dignity during extremely difficult times,” he added.
WFP said its monitoring shows that households receiving food assistance have better food consumption than those without support. However, inflation and rising prices for food and basic services continue to place additional pressure on vulnerable refugee families, particularly those who have recently fled Sudan.
The latest U.S. contribution underscores Washington’s continued support for humanitarian efforts assisting people displaced by the Sudan conflict and helping Egypt cope with the growing needs of refugee-hosting communities.
