More than one million people have returned to Sudan’s capital Khartoum over the past ten months despite insecurity.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said families returned between November 2024 and September 2025 from other regions and abroad.
“The scale of return is both a sign of resilience and a warning,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s deputy director general.
Daniels described a city still scarred by conflict, where homes are damaged and basic services barely function for returning families.
Civil war between the General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army and Rapid Support Forces has raged since April 2023, leaving thousands dead and Khartoum’s infrastructure devastated.
The capital remains home to over 3.7 million displaced people, with current returns accounting for only 26 percent of the total, IOM said.
Up to 2.7 million more people could return depending on security improvements and restoration of basic services, the agency added.
Across Sudan, 2.6 million people returned to their homes since late 2024, including more than 500,000 from abroad, mainly Egypt, South Sudan, and Libya.
Many returnees live in damaged houses or overcrowded shelters, with limited access to water, healthcare, or protection against disease.
Cholera, malaria, and other illnesses continue to spread, highlighting the fragile conditions for families returning to Khartoum.
The IOM urged the international community to scale up recovery aid and support rebuilding of essential services across Sudan.
