Sudan’s three-year war has left more than 8,000 people missing across the country, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Many are feared dead in Khartoum state, where unmarked graves hold thousands of bodies from intense urban fighting.
Residents often buried the dead in streets, fields, and makeshift graves during periods when fighting made cemeteries inaccessible.
The ICRC says it has resolved over 1,000 missing cases, though many outcomes remain unconfirmed for families.
Destroyed laboratories and limited forensic capacity have severely hindered efforts to identify bodies across war-torn Sudan.
Authorities in Khartoum state have moved nearly 30,000 bodies from informal graves since retaking the capital last year.
Officials say about ten percent of the recovered bodies remain unidentified despite ongoing documentation and DNA collection efforts.
One of the missing is Burhan’s army member Fahmy al-Fateh, who disappeared after leaving a Khartoum base over a year ago.
His family says his three-year-old son reacts to passing motorcycles, hoping each one signals his father’s return home.
Experts warn that ambiguous loss creates long-term psychological trauma for families who cannot confirm whether loved ones are alive.
The crisis continues as search efforts persist across Sudan amid ongoing conflict and widespread humanitarian distress nationwide.
