Over 2.6 million displaced Sudanese return home, IOM says

October 17, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – More than 2.6 million displaced Sudanese have returned to their homes in less than a year, the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday, as the army recaptured several key states.

The returns, which occurred between November 2024 and September 2025, are linked to the military’s recovery of Sennar, Gezira, and Khartoum states, as well as areas in White Nile and North Kordofan.

Of the 2,618,360 returnees, about 2.1 million were internally displaced persons (IDPs), while 523,844 returned from neighbouring countries, including Egypt, South Sudan, and Libya, the IOM said in a report.

Improved security was the primary driver for 92% of returning families. Others cited dwindling resources in displacement areas, family reunification, and the availability of local services.

Khartoum state saw the largest number of returns with 1,038,890 people, followed by Gezira with 973,000. Significant numbers also returned to Sennar (194,000), Blue Nile (168,000), and North Darfur (102,000).

The IOM expects another 2.7 million people could return to Khartoum, from which 3.7 million were displaced after the conflict broke out in April 2023, depending on security and humanitarian conditions.

Despite damage to their properties, 93% of returning families have settled back into their original homes, the report said. The remainder are staying in shelters, with host families, or in rented accommodation.

In a separate update, the IOM said the number of internally displaced people in Sudan has fallen to 9.5 million from a peak of 11.5 million earlier this year.

Since the conflict began, over 4.3 million people have fled to neighbouring countries.

The remaining IDPs are spread across all 18 of Sudan’s states, with 46% living with host communities and 17% in organised camps. Others are sheltering in schools, public buildings, informal settlements, and makeshift shelters.