In 2025, the MENA region faced overlapping crises including conflict, displacement, economic collapse, disease outbreaks, and climate shocks, placing children at risk and disrupting access to services.
Middle East and North Africa offers a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of one of the world’s most complex and dynamic mobility landscapes where labour migration, protracted displacement, environmental stressors and socioeconomic transitions converge.
In September, the security situation in Darfur and Kordofan States remained highly volatile and unpredictable, marked by intensified military confrontations, drone strikes, aerial bombardments and increasing intercommunal tension, leading to widespread insecurity, civilian displacement and growing humanitarian needs.
Since the outbreak of armed conflict in Sudan on 15 April 2023, Africa Region faced a large-scale humanitarian crisis marked by one of the most significant displacement movements in recent years. Millions of people fled the violence, crossing into Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda.
There are now 12.0 million forcibly displaced due to the outbreak of conflict in Sudan since April 2023, including 7.7 million internally and 4.1 million in neighbouring countries.
Latest data from IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) shows a 13% drop in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan since January 2025, now standing at 10.1 million.
WFP is working to scale up assistance in Sudan for 7 million people by mid-year in Sudan. In Libya, in February, WFP distributed food assistance to 4,285 individuals and reached 342 children under five and 125 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls.
On Aug. 10, 2023, two boats, each carrying 110 migrants, departed Lebanon's northern shore in Akkar, attempting to irregular sea journey across the Mediterranean toward Italy. The Lebanese Army thwarted one of the boats, while the other one managed to cross into regional waters. Among the 110 migrants are 37 children, 14 women and 59 men, around 90 percent of whom are Syrians.
في 10 آب 2023، غادر قاربان، يحمل كل منهما 110 مهاجرين، الشاطئ الشمالي للبنان في عكار، في محاولة للقيام برحلة بحرية غير نظامية عبر البحر الأبيض المتوسط باتجاه إيطاليا. وأحبط الجيش اللبناني أحد الزورقين، فيما تمكن الآخر من العبور إلى المياه الإقليمية. ومن بين المهاجرين الـ110، هناك 37 طفلاً و14 امرأة و59 رجلاً، حوالي 90 بالمئة منهم سوريون.
