IOM: Sudanese returning home despite war challenges
Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA)- The UN International Organization for Migration said here Thursday that, despite the critical situation in the Sudan and the ongoing conflict, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have opted to return to their home areas, braving possibilities of the area relapsing into a clash zone.
“In the first months of 2025, over a million people have begun to return - both from within the country and abroad. Many of these returns are taking place in areas where conditions remain extremely fragile, and investments in stabilization and resilience are crucial to prevent further displacement and ensure safe conditions for those who return,” the world organization said in its report published on Thursday.
In a mid-year report, covering the period January-June 2025, the IOM has however pointed out that six months into 2025 and after more than two years of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan remains the world’s largest displacement crisis.
It pointed out that IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) recorded over 10 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Sudan.
The summary said an estimated 4.2 million individuals have been displaced across borders into neighbouring countries. Out of this number, an estimated 71% are Sudanese nationals, while nearly 29% are foreign nationals or returnees.
“Sudan remains one of the largest protection crises with widespread rights violations, gender-based violence, child protection and trafficking risks. Communities resort to harmful coping strategies such as child marriage, child labour, female genital mutilation and are at risk of turning to trafficking networks,” it lamented.
The report underlined that at the same time, in the first months of 2025, over a million people have begun to return - both from within the country and abroad.
It specified that many of these returns are taking place in areas where “conditions remain extremely fragile’’, and investments in stabilization and resilience are crucial to prevent further displacement and ensure safe conditions for those who return.
-0-PANA MO/RA 4Sept2025
