Masses returning to war-torn Sudanese capital – UN agency
More than a million people have come back to Khartoum in the past ten months, the International Organization for Migration has said
More than one million displaced people have returned to Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, over the past ten months, despite the city’s devastation due to a civil war, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.
According to IOM’s Sudan Return Monitoring Snapshot, the returns took place between November 2024 and September 2025, as families made their way back from other parts of the country.
“The scale of return to Khartoum is both a sign of resilience and a warning,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s deputy director general for operations, who recently visited Sudan. She said people were returning “to a city still scarred by conflict, where homes are damaged and basic services are barely functioning.”
Daniels added that the spread of cholera, dengue, and malaria made it “urgent to invest in clean water, health care, and other essential services so that people can truly start over.”
Sudan has been gripped by fierce fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, as both factions vie for control amid a stalled transition to civilian rule.
Last month, more than 3,000 fighters, representing 98% of the state’s combat forces, were redeployed outside Khartoum. In August, the authorities announced plans to rebuild roads, bridges, and the international airport destroyed in the hostilities.
According to Sudan Tribune, the planned reopening of Khartoum International Airport was delayed after two RSF drone attacks. The airport had scheduled its first flight for October 22-25 but postponed it to October 26.
IOM data shows that Khartoum hosts more than 3.77 million displaced people, with current returns representing about 26% of that total. Up to 2.7 million may still return depending on security conditions.
Nationwide, IOM recorded 2.6 million return movements during the same period. More than 520,000 came back from Egypt, South Sudan, and Libya.
The organization cautioned that the humanitarian situation remains severe. In North Darfur’s capital, Al Fasher, fighting has displaced millions. Those left behind faced shelling, sexual violence, and acute malnutrition.
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