Taking stock of the regional mixed movement trends, blindspots and future scenarios
On 3–4 December 2024, as Sudan reached the 600-day mark since the outbreak of war on 15 April 2023, the conflict remained ongoing with no clear end in sight. By August 2024, more than 2.3 million people had been displaced. Border areas in Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan were struggling to meet the scale of humanitarian needs, while increasing numbers of displaced Sudanese and third-country nationals were considering onward movement in search of safety and livelihood opportunities.
In this context, the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC), together with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), convened a two-day high-level event in Nairobi to examine the regional displacement dynamics linked to the war and to identify coordinated policy and programming priorities. The main objectives were to:
Bring together the state-of-the-art empirical data and research on the mixed movement consequences of the Sudan war;
Examine the challenges for (international) protection of Sudanese and third-country nationals within Sudan and the wider region, including existing national and regional policy responses;
Analyze cross-cutting themes related to the gendered dimensions of this conflict and the impacts of food insecurity and looming starvation as a stress multiplier;
Identify blind spots for research, policy and programming and explore future scenarios for onward movement and their implications for humanitarian programming and policy.
Agenda, Programme and Participant Bios
The conference was organized to critically examine the current state of evidence, policy, and programming. It aimed to engage a diverse range of stakeholders central to forward-looking discussions on mixed migration, including national and regional policymakers, donor country representatives, humanitarian practitioners, researchers, grassroots organizations, and civil society activists.
📢 This 8-minute video captures key moments from the event organized by MMC, UNHCR, and DRC with the support of DANIDA.
View all eight conference sessions
Session 1: Setting the Scene
This opening session of the conference examines the most significant mixed movement and displacement trends linked to the conflict, and how regional programming is responding.
Speakers: • Ms. Nisreen Elsaim, Sudanese Activist • H.E. Kamal Gubara, Ambassador of Sudan to Kenya & Permanent Representative to UNON • Dr. Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR Regional Director (East & Horn of Africa) • Dr. Ayla Bonfiglio, Regional Head (East & Southern Africa, Egypt & Yemen), Mixed Migration Centre • Moderator: Ms. Rebecca Kesby, Journalist
Session 2: Data & Evidence on Mixed Movement Consequences
This session brings together the latest data and analysis on displacement, routes, protection risks, and onward movement linked to the war in Sudan.
Speakers: • Ms. Lavina Ranjan, Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) • Mr. Harry Cook, International Organization for Migration (IOM) • Mr. Stephane Savarimuthu, UNHCR • Ms. Harriet Holder & Ms. Angeliki Karydi, Danish Refugee Council (DRC) • Moderator: Dr. Georgia Cole, University of Edinburgh
Session 3: Mapping the Policy Landscape
This session examines the protection and policy landscape facing Sudanese and third-country nationals fleeing the war in Sudan, focusing on neighbouring countries and onward destinations.
Speakers: Dr. Sabelo Mbokazi, African Union Commission; Dr. Amira Awad Osman, Abu-Alafya Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation; Ms. Enguday Meskele, Ethiopian Human Rights Commission; Ms. Nour Moussa, University of Antwerp & Talent Beyond Boundaries. Moderator: Ms. Barbara Salcher, Khartoum Process
Session 4: The Experiences of Women and Children on the Move
This session focuses on the impact of the Sudan war on women and children, including unprecedented levels of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), family separation, and the rise in unaccompanied and separated children.
Speakers: Ms. Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls; Ms. Asma Taha, Save the Children Sudan; Ms. Tsion Tefara, Save the Children Ethiopia; Dr. Ishraga Mustafa Hamid, Mendy for Peace Culture and Diversity Management; Mr. Stephen Wandu Bimo, I CAN South Sudan; Ms. Nyatora Bang, MonyQadow Moderator: Ms. Omneya Ghamry, Save the Children – Egypt.
This session examines future displacement scenarios, policy blindspots, and how humanitarian and policy actors can prepare for evolving mixed migration dynamics.
Speakers: • Mr. Edward O’Dwyer, UNHCR • Ms. Li Fung, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) • Dr. Mariam Wagialla, DANIA for Diversity and Sustainable Development • Mr. Paul Asquith, Shabaka • Moderator: Ms. Rebecca Kesby
Session 6: Shifting Patterns of Trafficking and Human Smuggling
Speakers discuss the increased demand for smugglers amid border restrictions, the growing vulnerability of displaced populations to exploitation, and the links between conflict economies and organized criminal networks.
Speakers: • Ms. Binija Dhital Goperma, UNODC • Mr. Maxime Giraudet, Altai Consulting • Mr. Morgan Mukhtar Ramadan, Regional Operational Centre (ROCK) • Mr. Mutuku Nguli, Counter Human Trafficking Trust – East Africa • Dr. Suad Musa, Gender Centre for Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development • Moderator: Mr. Markus Hein, Embassy of Germany to Sudan
Session 7: Designing Large-Scale Responses for Sudan and the Region
This session examines how international donors, grant facilities, humanitarian actors and grassroots organisations can better respond to large-scale displacement linked to the war in Sudan.
Speakers: • Mr. Marcello Giordani, ICMPD (MMD Grant Facility) • Mr. Felix Volkmar, KfW • Ms. Gabrielle Fox, Cash Consortium of Sudan • Ms. Alexandra Bean, Danish Refugee Council (DRC) • Ms. Alexandra Farmer & Ms. Philippa Weichs, St. Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS) • Ms. Marielys Padua Soto, American University in Cairo • Moderator: Ms. Wiesje Elferrich, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sudan
Session 8: Youth Reflections and Way Forward
The final session brings together Sudanese youth leaders directly impacted by the war, alongside reflections from session moderators and participants.
Speakers: • Ms. Sheima Elrasheid, Sudanese Youth Network (Kenya Chapter) • Mr. Ali Osman Abdalla Abdelgadir, Sudanese Youth Network (Sudan Chapter) • Mr. Nagmeldin Daoud Abdalmoula Abdalla, Sudanese Youth Network (Uganda Chapter) • Ms. Sarah Ali, Mixed Migration Centre • Moderator: Ms. Rebecca Kesby • Closing remarks: Dr. Ayla Bonfiglio, Mixed Migration Centre
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