Sudanese refugees with disabilities are left behind by humanitarian aid

• An estimated 4.6 million people displaced by Sudan's conflict are living with disabilities
• The humanitarian situation for Sudanese civilians has reached catastrophic levels and is even more critical for persons with disabilities
• On World Refugee Day (20 June), Humanity & Inclusion is calling for people with disabilities to be prioritised in the humanitarian response
• In conflict settings, People with disabilities are often the first to be left behind and face significantly higher risks of violence
• More than 900,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in eastern Chad since April 2023, according to UNHCR
• Humanity & Inclusion is providing rehabilitation care and mental health support to Sudanese refugees in Eastern Chad

People with disabilities are being left behind in Sudan crisis

More than three years since war broke out in Sudan, hundreds of thousands of people are still arriving in eastern Chad with disabilities and injuries. An estimated 4.6 million of those displaced by the conflict are living with disabilities. Many had no access to rehabilitation or specialist care before they fled, and are finding little more on the other side of the border in Chad. Others have acquired disabilities from conflict-related injuries. For people with disabilities and injuries, fleeing the violence is only one part of the challenge. The struggle to access support often continues long after crossing the border.

Humanity & Inclusion is providing rehabilitation services and mental health to Sudanese people displaced within Sudan as well as to those who have found refuge in eastern Chad.

As World Refugee Day approaches, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is warning that people with disabilities remain among the most overlooked groups affected by Sudan's conflict, despite often facing the greatest barriers to accessing essential services and support.

“We are working in places where there are massive needs, in Darfur and eastern Chad, and what we see is people who have already survived the worst still being failed. Not by lack of will, but by an under-funded humanitarian system that was not designed with them in mind. We meet people who have survived bombings and terrible violence, lost family members and crossed borders in search of safety, yet still cannot access healthcare, information or basic assistance. When aid distributions are inaccessible, when services are too far away to reach, or when people lose the family and community networks they depend on, exclusion becomes another form of hardship. People with disabilities should not be treated as an afterthought. They must be included from the start." says Tom Shelton, Executive Director of Humanity & Inclusion UK.

A growing refugee crisis in an already fragile region

Since conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023, around 11.6 million people have been forced from their homes, making it one of the world's largest displacement crises. More than 900,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to eastern Chad alone, and people continue to arrive seeking safety.

Eastern Chad was already one of the most under-resourced humanitarian environments in the world before the influx began. The communities absorbing these arrivals are under serious strain. Healthcare is scarce, infrastructure is limited, and for many refugees, the support they need simply does not exist close enough to reach.

Three years in, the crisis has largely slipped from the international spotlight. Funding gaps are widening. And as attention moves elsewhere, the people with the most complex needs, including those with disabilities, are the first to fall through the gaps.

People with disabilities face extreme challenges 

People with disabilities face extreme challenges in fleeing violence, accessing aid, and protecting themselves from harm. In conflict settings, they are often the first to be left behind and face significantly higher risks of violence, abuse, discrimination, and exclusion. Mortality rates among people with disabilities can be two to four times higher than those of the general population in such contexts. Yet inclusive humanitarian services and specialised support remain largely absent.

In a camp, the practical barriers stack up fast for people with disabilities: healthcare facilities that are too far to reach, aid distributions that happen without accessible information, no support network to help navigate an unfamiliar system. The informal support networks that many people with disabilities rely on, like family members, community connections and known routines, are often severed by displacement itself.

The result, too often, is not just exclusion from services. It is exclusion from the humanitarian response entirely. People who most need support end up least visible to those providing it.

Women and girls face heightened risks

Women and girls with disabilities face particular risks. Without familiar support networks and protective environments, they are more vulnerable to violence and exploitation, while also facing greater barriers to reporting incidents or accessing support services.     

Notes

Spokespersons

Experts available for interview upon request

Humanity & Inclusion (HI)'s response in Chad and Sudan

HI has been working with Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad since June 2023, providing rehabilitation services, psychosocial support and helping to ensure that people with disabilities can access humanitarian assistance.

This includes physiotherapy for people recovering from injuries, mental health and psychosocial support, and efforts to make humanitarian services more accessible and inclusive. Since 2025, HI has also extended this work to host communities affected by the crisis.

Inside Sudan, HI continues to operate in some of the conflict's most challenging environments. In Darfur, HI is currently the only organisation delivering rehabilitation services, supporting people with injuries and impairments who would otherwise have little or no access to care.