More than 5.1 million people have returned to their homes in Sudan, although the war between the army and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to intensify, the UN reported today.
© Ebrahim Hamid / AFP via Getty Images
21/09/2026
by
Lusa
A International Organization for Migration (IOM) warns of the risk of new movements if insufficient assistance is not mobilised quickly.
In a statement, this UN agency urges governments, donors, humanitarian and development organisations and international financial institutions to increase their support without delay.
“Returning the house is just the beginning. Many families are finding damaged homes, closed schools and clinics working precariously. The livelihoods are scarce,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope, quoted in a statement.
“ If we don't help them, many will be forced to leave again. We must invest in these communities now so that these people can rebuild their lives and remain,” he added.
The vast majority of people returning to their home areas (82%) had been internally displaced within Sudan. The remaining 18%, or approximately 930,000, returned from abroad, mainly from Egypt (50%), South Sudan (25%), Libya (10%) and the Gulf States (8%).
“Achieving the five million mark represents a rare sign of progress in a prolonged humanitarian crisis, but this progress remains fragile,” warns IOM.
The IOM data point to some 8.6 million people still displaced in Sudan, a slight decrease (-1%) in the last month. However, Sudan remains among the countries with the largest number of internally displaced persons in the world.
The war in Sudan, which began in 2023, has already killed more than 200,000, according to humanitarian workers, in what the UN considers the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
Over 12 million people were displaced at the height of the conflict within Sudan, while fighting forced nearly five million people to flee the country, reports the UN.