Millions forced to flee their homes by the ongoing war in Sudan “risk being left without a roof over their heads,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on November 6.

15.4 million people are in urgent need of “emergency shelter and essential household items.” However, humanitarian agencies have only provided assistance to 936,000 people, which is just over 6% of those in need.

“Funding constraints mean humanitarian agencies can prioritize assistance for just 10% of those in need,” the agencies said in a joint statement.

​As the war continues in its fourth year, 8.6 million people remain displaced within Sudan, while 4.6 million have fled across the borders to neighboring countries. ​

Although 5.2 million have returned to their original areas, their homes are damaged in the fighting. So are essential services and infrastructure in their areas. They are left with “little or nothing to rebuild their lives,” the joint statement said.​

“The loss of shelter in Sudan is no longer merely one of the consequences of the war. It has become a humanitarian crisis threatening the lives of millions of people and depriving displaced families of the most basic conditions of safety and stability,” said Adam Rojal, spokesperson of the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees Camps.

Lack of clean water and healthcare is worsening their condition, posing particular risks to children, the elderly, and women, he added.​

“And now winter is approaching,” said Abubakr Jalloh, UNHCR’s Deputy Representative in Sudan. “Sudan is known as a country of extreme heat. That is true. Yet winter nights in Darfur can be bitterly cold, and the temperatures in northern Sudan can fall to single digits. For newborn babies or older persons, a blanket can be a life-saving item.”

​However, even the provision of blankets to those in need is a challenge as Sudan’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan has received less than half the required funding.

Insisting that “displaced persons and refugees are rights-holders, not merely recipients of relief,” Rojal said that their participation should be ensured in determining how international agencies prioritize humanitarian response. ​

“Behind every family without shelter lies a story of loss and suffering, and behind every child sleeping without a roof over their head is a threatened future. This suffering must not become normalized or reduced to mere figures in international reports.”

Read more: The war in Sudan is “between two wings of a comprador parasitic capitalist class”

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