“The magnitude of the return to Khartoum is both a sign of resilience and a warning,”said Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General of Operations, who recently visited the country.
“I met people returning to a city still scarred by conflict, where houses are damaged and basic services barely function.”
The agency said Khartoum is still home to some 3.77 million displaced people, meaning current returns represent only a quarter of the state’s uprooted.
An estimated 2.7 million more could return home if conditions improve.
Across Sudan, 2.6 million return movements were recorded during the same period, including 523,844 people who returned across national borders, mostly from Egypt, South Sudan and Libya.
Insulated Stability Bags
Despite isolated pockets of stability, the IOM warned that the humanitarian situation remains dire.
“Throughout Sudan, Cholera, dengue and malaria are spreading.which makes it even more urgent to invest in clean water, healthcare and other essential services so people can truly start again,” Ms Daniels said.
Many returnees live in damaged homes or collective centers, with little access to clean water, medical care or protection. A little more than half are in rural areas and almost half are children.
Clashes and insecurity in Sudan continue to force people to flee their homes in search of safety.
Thousands of people trapped in El Fasher
The crisis has been particularly acute in El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur, where more than a million people have fled since the start of the war between government military forces and the rival RSF militia in April 2023.
Thousands of people remain trapped amid indiscriminate shelling, sexual violence and attacks targeting ethnic groups, with civilians reportedly resorting to eating animal feed to survive.
Recent IOM reports from the field indicate that more than 13,000 people have recently been displaced in North Darfur and Western Kordofan between 15 and 20 October, as insecurity intensifies. UN teams are monitoring the situation and assisting affected communities.
Displaced families in the town of Tawila received help on Monday after walking for days to escape violence in El Fasher. However, access remains difficult.
“We and our partners continue to expand our response efforts where access allows,“said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN, at a press conference in New York.
Silence the weapons
Sudan’s civil war pits the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the once-allied Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who attacked each other in April 2023. The fighting has displaced more than ten million people, destroyed much of Khartoum, and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
IOM said it continues to work with partners to provide vital aid and strengthen data collection to guide relief efforts. He reiterated the call to the warring parties 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 agency said.”Their determination is remarkable, but life remains incredibly fragile.“