Half a million Sudanese return to Khartoum in one month despite war
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Over 500,000 people returned to Khartoum in July, the UN reports, as Sudan’s capital sees relative calm. Meanwhile, deadly fighting continues in Darfur and Kordofan.
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A Sudanese family, who were driven from their homes and are now returning, wait for their train to Aswan at Cairo's Ramses railway station, Egypt, Monday, July 21, 2025. (AP)
The United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday that over half a million people returned to Khartoum during the month of July, marking a dramatic increase in movement back to the war-torn Sudanese capital.
According to the agency, an estimated 500,074 individuals made their way back to the city, a 400% increase compared to return figures recorded in June.
The uptick follows the Sudanese army’s recapture of Khartoum from the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in March, amid continued efforts by the government to launch reconstruction and stabilization programs.
The IOM noted that around two million Sudanese have returned to their homes across the country over the past nine months. The highest number of returnees was recorded in al-Jazira state, followed by Khartoum, which has now welcomed over 600,000 returnees in total.
Despite this, the UN warns that conditions remain dire, with minimal access to basic services and the persistent threat of renewed clashes, particularly in areas still witnessing active conflict.
War enters 17th month with no end in sight
Sudan plunged into war in April 2023, when a power struggle erupted between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The fighting has since devastated the country’s infrastructure and led to the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises, according to the UN.
While the army has regained much of central Sudan, including Khartoum and Al-Jazira, the RSF continues to control most of Darfur, where it has captured all but one state capital, and parts of southern Kordofan.
In the western Darfur region, al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, remains under heavy RSF assault, with local sources describing the offensive as the fiercest since the war began. Hundreds have been reported killed in recent weeks as paramilitary forces escalate operations in the region.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands and forced nearly four million people to flee Khartoum alone. Across Sudan, 10 million people are now internally displaced, while another four million have crossed into neighbouring countries.
As conflict zones remain volatile, humanitarian agencies continue to warn that while returnees are heading home to cities like Khartoum, sustainable resettlement remains unlikely without long-term security guarantees and full access to aid.
Read more: RSF shells El-Fasher hospital, abducts 8 civilians from refugee camp
