U.N. migration agency IOM reopens Khartoum office, first since war began

September 8, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reopened its office in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday, the first U.N. agency to re-establish a presence there since war broke out more than two years ago.

Most U.N. agencies and foreign diplomatic missions relocated to the eastern city of Port Sudan after intense fighting broke out in Khartoum in April 2023. Port Sudan has since served as Sudan’s administrative capital.

Khartoum state governor Ahmed Osman Hamza attended a ceremony to mark the reopening. In a post on the social media platform X, the IOM said the move underscored its continued support for Sudan.

The agency’s return “confirms the return of life and its recovery from the war,” IOM’s mission chief in Sudan, Mohammed Refaat, said in a statement released by the state government.

Refaat added that the IOM expects more than one million displaced people to return to the state by the end of this year. The IOM’s premises in Khartoum are also expected to host staff from other U.N. agencies in the future.

The move comes after the Sudanese army recaptured control of Khartoum in March. Since then, government authorities have been working to restore security and basic services, such as water and power, in an effort to encourage the return of displaced residents.