"No Model of Refuge: Sudanese Refugees in Egypt" 21 February 2025

The war in Sudan has created the world’s largest forced displacement and hunger crisis, severely affecting both the country and the region. Some 12 million people have been displaced, including more than 3 million to neighboring countries...
....Without refugee camps or alternative effective systems for providing consistent aid, refugees in Egypt are left to “fend for themselves,” as one staff member of an NGO told Refugees International...

...To officially work in Egypt, Sudanese must be recognized as refugees and have work permits. However, to obtain a work permit, the Sudanese individual would have to have a passport, a valid visa, have entered the country legally, and obtain a security clearance from the Egyptian government...

...The impossibility of getting a work permit pushes Sudanese into informal labor markets where job opportunities are limited and can be exploitative. Some of these informal jobs that do not usually require documentation include construction, domestic work like house cleaning, or operating small businesses...As a result, many Sudanese families – a large percentage of them female-headed households – find themselves in precarious living conditions, augmenting their vulnerability...
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