4.65 million displaced Sudanese return to their areas... Will the recovery journey after the war begin?
Written by: Mohammed Omran
The United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that the number of Sudanese who have returned to their areas after being displaced by the war has risen to about 4.65 million people, indicating new changes in the map of displacement within the country, as the humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing war since 2023 continues.
4.65 million displaced Sudanese return to their areas... Will the recovery journey after the war begin?
The organization said in its latest data that the new figures came based on monitoring and field surveys that included about 13,000 sites within 185 areas in the various 18 Sudanese states, explaining that the number of internally displaced persons still stands at about 8.69 million people.
The International Organization for Migration noted that the number of returnees increased by 5% compared to the previous month, with approximately 4.65 million people returning to 74 locations, including 82% who were internally displaced within Sudan, while 18% returned from outside the country after periods of asylum and displacement.
Khartoum and Al Jazeera are at the forefront of the return scene
The largest proportion of return operations were concentrated in a number of areas that witnessed a relative improvement in security conditions, especially the states of Khartoum and Al-Jazirah, after field changes and the Sudanese army’s control over areas that were under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.
According to the organization, the improved security situation was one of the most prominent factors that prompted thousands of Sudanese families to decide to return to their areas, despite the continued challenges related to basic services and the rehabilitation of affected areas.
Children are half affected by the crisis
The organization's data revealed that children under the age of 18 represent a large proportion of those affected by the war, as they constitute about 55% of internally displaced persons and 50% of returnees, reflecting the large humanitarian impact of the conflict on the most vulnerable groups.
From 11.6 million displaced people to 8.69 million... a gradual decline
The increase in the number of returnees coincides with a decrease in the number of internally displaced persons compared to the peak of the crisis, as the number of displaced persons in January 2025 reached about 11.6 million people, before the number began to gradually decline with the recent return movements.
Despite this decrease, the United Nations confirms that Sudan still faces one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, as the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces continues, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced about 13 million people during its various stages.
Post-return challenges
Observers believe that the return of millions of displaced people is an important step, but it opens the door to new challenges, most notably reconstruction, providing basic services such as water, electricity, health care and education, in addition to ensuring the stability of the areas to which the residents have returned.
The return of 4.65 million Sudanese remains a sign of the changing humanitarian landscape in the country, but it does not mean the end of the crisis, as there is still a need for extensive international and local efforts to support the millions of displaced people who are still far from their homes.
