Sudan Shelter Crisis: Millions of Displaced People Risk Losing Aid as UN Stocks Run Dry

Millions of people driven from their homes by Sudan's civil war now risk losing the last roof over their heads, the United Nations warned on Friday, as the Sudan shelter crisis deepens, emergency shelter stocks run dry and funding covers only a fraction of the need.

In a joint statement, the UN refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said an estimated 15.4 million people across Sudan urgently need emergency shelter and basic household items — but with money running out, agencies can prioritise help for only about one in ten. So far, just 936,000 people have received assistance.

Key Points

• An estimated 15.4 million people in Sudan urgently need emergency shelter and basic household items.
• Funding shortfalls mean agencies can prioritise only about 10 percent of those in need — and only 936,000 people have been helped so far.
• IOM's warehouses are now "completely empty" after the agency distributed more than 40,000 tons of supplies this year; 16 trucks carried the last available stock to Darfur.
• The shelter response needs $179 million and is only 35 percent funded, while the overall 2026 humanitarian plan for Sudan needs $2.9 billion and is about 47 percent funded.
• Sudan remains the world's largest displacement crisis, with about 8.6 million people displaced inside the country and more than 4.6 million forced across its borders since war broke out in April 2023.

What Happened

UNHCR and IOM issued their joint warning on Friday, November 6, 2026, saying funding shortfalls have depleted the stocks displaced families depend on for tarpaulins, tents, cooking sets, blankets and other household items. Without them, families in makeshift camps, schools and open ground have little defence against heat, dust storms and rain.

Speaking from Khartoum at a UN briefing in Geneva, IOM Sudan chief Mohamed Refaat put the shortfall in stark terms. "Just this year, IOM was able to distribute more than 40,000 tons, but our warehouses are completely empty now," he said. He added that 16 trucks had just reached Darfur carrying the last available stock.

The agencies said the funding squeeze forces impossible choices over who receives help first. With only about 10 percent of the need covered, the warning is a plea for donors to close the gap before conditions worsen for families who have already lost their homes and livelihoods.

Background: Sudan's War and the World's Largest Displacement Crisis

Sudan's war broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and it has since become the world's largest displacement crisis. About 8.6 million people are displaced inside Sudan, while more than 4.6 million have fled across its borders, many arriving with almost nothing.

The fighting has shattered homes, markets and public services across much of the country, and repeated displacement has worn down whatever savings families once had. Many have moved several times as front lines shifted. For those families, a tarpaulin, a cooking pot and a blanket are not comforts — they are the difference between surviving the next season and not.

Agencies have warned repeatedly that Sudan's crisis is chronically underfunded for its scale. The 2026 plan requires $2.9 billion to assist 20.4 million of the 33.7 million people in need, yet it is only about 47 percent funded. Within that plan, shelter — often treated as a lower priority than food and medicine — has fared even worse.

The Sudan Shelter Crisis in Numbers

The figures behind Friday's warning show how wide the gap has become. Some 15.4 million people urgently need shelter and household items, but only 936,000 have received help — roughly six percent of the need, below even the one-in-ten figure agencies can prioritise.

The shelter response needs $179 million and is only 35 percent funded, leaving a shortfall of more than $116 million. The 16 trucks that reached Darfur with the last stock illustrate the point: when the next families arrive at a camp, there may be nothing left to give them.

Reactions and Quotes

Refaat's briefing carried the bluntest message of the day. "Just this year, IOM was able to distribute more than 40,000 tons, but our warehouses are completely empty now," he said — a sentence that captures a system running on dwindling supplies for months.

The joint statement warned that millions risk being left without emergency shelter altogether as funding shortfalls deplete aid stocks. The agencies named no donor, but the message was plain: without new money, rationing will only tighten, and the families turned away will be those with the least left.

Why It Matters

Shelter is often the least visible part of a humanitarian crisis, but for displaced families it is the first line of defence. Without a roof or tarpaulin, children sleep exposed to scorching days and cold nights, cooking becomes impossible, and stored food and medicine spoil. Crowded, unsheltered settlements spread disease faster and leave women and girls more exposed to violence.

The stakes reach beyond Sudan's borders. More than 4.6 million people have already fled into neighbouring countries, and a further collapse in aid risks pushing more families to make that journey, straining host communities short of resources themselves. A funding gap that looks like a line in a budget becomes, on the ground, a family with nowhere to sleep.

What Happens Next

UN agencies are pressing donors to close the $179 million shelter gap and fund the wider $2.9 billion plan before conditions worsen. Further distributions depend on new contributions arriving in the coming weeks, and agencies say they will keep prioritising the most vulnerable families in the most exposed settlements.

Whether the warning is heeded will show in the next round of funding announcements. For now, the 16 trucks that reached Darfur mark both an achievement and a limit: the last of the stock, delivered to families who need it, with nothing behind it until donors respond.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people in Sudan need emergency shelter?
An estimated 15.4 million people urgently need emergency shelter and basic household items, according to UNHCR and IOM.

How many have received help so far?
Only about 936,000 people — roughly one in sixteen of those in need — have received shelter assistance so far.

Why are aid stocks running out?
Funding shortfalls have depleted supplies. The shelter response needs $179 million and is only 35 percent funded, and IOM says its warehouses are now completely empty.

How big is Sudan's displacement crisis?
About 8.6 million people are displaced inside Sudan and more than 4.6 million have fled across borders since the war began in April 2023 — the world's largest displacement crisis.

What can be done?
UN agencies are appealing for donors to fund the shelter response and the wider $2.9 billion humanitarian plan for 2026.

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