21 April 2026
As the world marked the third anniversary of war in Sudan, we wrote to Minister Anny Aly and Minister Penny Wong to urgently call for the Australian Government to increase its response to the conflict. UNHCR reports that at April 2026, 11.6 people million are forcibly displaced, while 21 million face extreme food deprivation and malnutrition.
Read our letter below.
Response to Sudan – The Abandoned Crisis
The Hon. Dr Anne Aly MP
Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for International Development, Minister for Small Business
Senator the Hon. Penny Wong
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Ministers,
On behalf of the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA), I would like to thank you for the additional $7 million in humanitarian support to respond to the conflict in Sudan. We welcome this contribution that will provide a critical lifeline for people facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
As we mark the three-year anniversary of the outbreak of war, RCOA and Sudanese-Australian community advocates are renewing our call for the Australian Government to increase its response to the conflict. Since April 2023, the conflict has reached catastrophic levels, with escalating violence and mass displacement requiring a level of action that matches the unprecedented scale of the need.
The situation has reached catastrophic levels with UNHCR reporting 11.6 million people are currently forcibly displaced, including over 6 million internally displaced within Sudan. This essential aid will be vital in addressing the extreme food deprivation and malnutrition facing more than 21 million people.
Health systems are under severe strain. Violent attacks on health care systems since the start of the war have resulted in 1,858 deaths and hundreds of injuries, making access to care even more difficult.
Those in Sudan continue to face extreme danger. Airstrikes target civilian infrastructure without warning, and there are reports of serious widespread human rights violations, including massacres. Women and girls face a heightened risk of sexual violence as they flee, in camps and while seeking food, water and essential services. Millions of school children have had their education severely interrupted, with nearly 60,000 children arriving alone to neighbouring countries. Remarks made by senior UN aid officials warn of the grave scale of the crisis — one that has been largely forgotten in many parts of the world — stating that “Sudan is an atrocities laboratory.”
The crisis has contributed to a regional emergency, particularly in neighbouring host countries where safety remains elusive. In Egypt, which now hosts over 1.5 million Sudanese refugees, reports have emerged of arbitrary arrests, forced deportations, imprisonment, and torture. A recent report by the OHCHR highlights a disturbing trend of Sudanese nationals being targeted in their homes, workplaces and in public spaces. For Sudanese people seeking safety, options remain limited, with the Australian Government unable to assist refugees without passports living in Egypt.
We urge the Government to develop a coherent, consistent and equitable emergency response framework for crisis situations such as Sudan. In partnership with our members and the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, RCOA has developed a forward-looking crisis response framework grounded in urgent protection, timely action, predictable responses, community engagement and additionality. This framework 202 framework is detailed in our submission to the 2026-27 Humanitarian Program Discussion Paper. It includes principles that strongly align with DFAT’s Humanitarian Policy commitments to global refugee protection, including leadership in international resettlement and the expansion of durable solutions.
In Australia, urgent action is required for Sudanese nationals on temporary visas, highlighting a critical need for access to temporary humanitarian stay arrangements. Between 1 April 2023 and 31 December 2024, Australia granted 1,500 visas to Sudanese citizens. Of these, 448 were visitor visas, with the remaining consisting of family, resident return, skilled and student visas. Families are exhausting their limited resources to provide a financial safety net, housing assistance, and childcare for those fleeing what is now the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Many of these individuals are now struggling to support family members still in extreme danger and are calling for broader, more accessible visa pathways. The current options are prohibitively limited; we urge the Government to expand eligibility beyond immediate family members and to implement a clear pathway to durable visas.
RCOA and Sudanese community members reiterate our call for the Australian Government to:
- Support efforts by the international community to exert greater diplomatic pressure on the parties involved in the conflict and establish safe corridors for provision of humanitarian aid for people in the most affected areas.
- Increase humanitarian assistance to Sudan and neighbouring countries hosting Sudanese refugees, in addition to the $67 million that has already been provided. Given the Australian Government’s recognition that Sudan is facing the world’s greatest displacement and hunger crisis, it is imperative that this recognition is translated into increased humanitarian aid.
- Establish a clear process to allow Sudanese nationals on Bridging, Visitor and other temporary visas to extend their stay in Australia. This request is in line with UNHCR’s 2023 position on returns to Sudan. We note that UNHCR has reiterated its concerns about Sudan in its Guidance Note issued in April 2025.
- In recognition of the changed circumstances in Sudan since 2023, allow Sudanese nationals with previously rejected asylum claims to reapply, including those on a removal pathway. This would be in line with UNHCR’s updated advice on returns. Country information used to assess protection claims should be updated to reflect the current situation.
- As the conflict escalates, prioritise processing of visas for Sudanese nationals to enable timely exits to safety. This includes pending Family, Skilled, Refugee and Humanitarian visas as well as Visitor visas. This prioritising should extend to on-hand Refugee and Humanitarian visas for refugees currently residing in Sudan and those of Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries. Continued diplomatic engagement with the Egyptian government is encouraged, to facilitate travel of people without passports.
- Engage the Sudanese-Australian community for strategic advice on where humanitarian aid can be directed and on-arrival support needs in Australia. This approach would draw on the community’s detailed knowledge of the crisis and local needs.
- Sudanese Australian grassroots organisations are currently undertaking intensive case management, information sharing, and culturally responsive social support to recent arrivals whose visa status bars them from accessing mainstream services. This vital work, which is crucial for supporting mental health and wellbeing, is currently poorly resourced, relying heavily on volunteer efforts and small one-off grants. To sustain this vital community-led support, greater, reliable resourcing of these organisations is required.
Thank you again for recognising the scale of the humanitarian emergency. We welcome the opportunity to discuss further the points raised in this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Adama Kamara
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Refugee Council of Australia
