More than one million people have returned to Khartoum within the last ten months, according to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The Sudan Return Monitoring Snapshot indicates that these returns took place between November 2024 and September 2025, as families made their way back from different 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 has just returned from a visit to Sudan. "I met people coming back to a city still scarred by conflict, where homes are damaged and basic services are barely functioning. Their determination to rebuild is remarkable, but life remains incredibly fragile. Across Sudan, cholera, dengue and malaria are spreading, making it even more urgent to invest in clean water, health care and other essential services so that people can truly start over."
Khartoum alone accounts for over 3.77 million displaced persons, meaning that the current returns represent just 26 per cent of the total displaced population from the state. An estimated 2.7 million people may still return, depending on security and humanitarian conditions.
Across Sudan, IOM recorded 2.6 million return movements to areas of origin over the same period. Just over two million people returned from internal displacement, while 523,844 returned from abroad, primarily from Egypt, South Sudan, and Libya.
Despite the optimism caused by returns in areas where there is relative security, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Many returnees are settling in damaged homes or collective centres, with limited access to clean water, health services, or protection. Slightly more than half or those returning are in rural areas, and nearly half are children under 18 years old.
IOM calls on the international community to urgently scale up support for Sudan's recovery. The Organization continues to work with partners to provide life-saving assistance and to strengthen data collection for informed response planning.
In other parts of Sudan, the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic, notably in Al Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur. More than one million people have fled Al Fasher since the start of the war, with many seeking refuge in Tawila, which has become a massive, overcrowded displacement hub.
Those unable to flee face indiscriminate shelling, sexual violence, and ethnically targeted attacks. Malnutrition is rife, especially among children, with some people resorting to eating animal feed to survive.
IOM reiterates the call by the United Nations Secretary General to silence the guns, end the suffering and find lasting solutions for the people of Sudan. The people of Sudan have shown remarkable strength and a deep desire to rebuild their lives once peace is restored.
The Sudan Return Monitoring Snapshot is part of IOM's lobal Displacement Tracking Matrix, which allows IOM and its partners to plan humanitarian responses based on the most up-to-date data.
