The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on 6 November that Italy’s Foreign Ministry has pledged €3 million in emergency food assistance for Sudanese refugees stranded in Libya. The funds will finance three months of rations for up to 70,000 people fleeing conflict in Sudan, as well as vulnerable Libyan host communities.
Italian diplomats framed the donation as part of Rome’s “migration compact” approach—providing aid in transit countries to curb onward journeys across the Mediterranean. Since 2022 Italy has channelled over €45 million through AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation) to support food security, border management and voluntary-return programmes in North Africa.
![Italy Donates €3 Million to Feed Sudanese Refugees in Libya, Strengthening ‘Externalisation’ Strategy]()
Human-rights NGOs welcomed the life-saving aid but argued that better resettlement pathways are needed; only 1,200 Sudanese refugees were evacuated to Italy under humanitarian corridors in 2024-25. For corporates the move signals continued government focus on external partnerships rather than domestic reception capacity, a stance that may ease public pressure on work-visa allocations but could attract EU scrutiny if linked to migrant-detention conditions in Libya.
Mobility teams relocating staff to energy or infrastructure projects in Libya should monitor security updates: WFP expects the refugee influx to top 550,000 by year-end, increasing volatility along the coastal road linking Tripoli and Misrata.
Italian diplomats framed the donation as part of Rome’s “migration compact” approach—providing aid in transit countries to curb onward journeys across the Mediterranean. Since 2022 Italy has channelled over €45 million through AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation) to support food security, border management and voluntary-return programmes in North Africa.
Human-rights NGOs welcomed the life-saving aid but argued that better resettlement pathways are needed; only 1,200 Sudanese refugees were evacuated to Italy under humanitarian corridors in 2024-25. For corporates the move signals continued government focus on external partnerships rather than domestic reception capacity, a stance that may ease public pressure on work-visa allocations but could attract EU scrutiny if linked to migrant-detention conditions in Libya.
Mobility teams relocating staff to energy or infrastructure projects in Libya should monitor security updates: WFP expects the refugee influx to top 550,000 by year-end, increasing volatility along the coastal road linking Tripoli and Misrata.
