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The EUAA has just published two new COI reports, a Country Focus and a Security Situation report on Sudan. Conflict-related violence has had a particular impact on women and girls, as well as perceived political opponents, while famine has been declared in at least five parts of the country. The Agency’s new reports come as over 10 000 Sudanese nationals sought asylum in EU+ countries in 2024.

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has just published two Country-of-Origin Information (COI) reports on Sudan, including on the security situation as well as an updated Country Focus report that builds on an earlier report from April 2024. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2023, Sudan has been plunged into severe instability leading to the world’s largest internal displacement crisis – with over 11 million people displaced.

Over the past 20 months, indiscriminate violence has affected large portions of the country. The situation is severely worsened by acute food insecurity affecting over 25 million people, and famine has been declared in at least five areas of the country. Food deprivation and sexual violence have also been systematically used as weapons against civilians.

Conflict-related violence has targeted large sections of the civilian population, in particular women and girls, non-Arab Africans in Darfur and Nuba in South Kordofan, journalists and media personnel, humanitarian and health personnel and perceived political opponents. The use of child soldiers has also been documented. Despite international appeals – including from the EU – urging the warring parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, the civil war continues.

Meanwhile, the conflict remains largely underreported. A crackdown on local media outlets, and repeated communication blackouts, have severely hindered reporting capabilities across the country, making the conflict in Sudan a ‘forgotten war’.

EU Asylum situation for Sudanese nationals

In 2024, Sudanese nationals lodged over 10 000 applications for international protection in the EU+. Throughout the year, Sudanese applications followed an upward trend and with the highest number of monthly applications received in November 2024 (1 100). Almost all (95 %) were first-time applicants. France was the main receiving country for Sudanese nationals, followed at a distance by Greece and Germany.

In 2024, EU+ countries issued approximately 6 300 decisions at first instance on Sudanese applications, with 74 % of the decisions granting refugee status and subsidiary protection (which was up from 66 % in 2023). At the end of the year, there were nearly 7 700 cases pending at first instance, which was up by around 1 900 cases compared to December 2023.