Sudan’s displaced return to new challenges in war-battered Khartoum | Sudan war News
Khartoum, Sudan — Mohamed Mahdi Makki Farah, 51, returned to his home near the Sudanese capital in August 2025, following a declaration by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) that the entire Khartoum state was free of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters. Despite his return, Farah and his family continue to face significant challenges.
Farah had evacuated his residence in Jabal Awliya, located south of Khartoum, in June 2023, seeking safety in el-Fasher, North Darfur. Upon his return, he discovered his home looted and destroyed, his household belongings missing. “Everything had been completely destroyed. Now we sleep on the floor, and some of us are living in rented houses,” he said in an interview with Al Jazeera. The costs of repairing their home are prohibitively high, and he has not been able to begin any restoration.
Years of hard work as a trader appear to have been negated, as the depreciation of the Sudanese pound has cut his business capital to less than a third of its pre-war value. The extended displacement journey depleted his remaining resources while his family’s daily needs and children’s medical expenses added to their financial strain. With limited access to water, electricity, and healthcare services, the situation remains dire.
Additionally, the family lost important documents during the conflict and must now replace them. “Everyone knows about the water and electricity problems; Khartoum is almost entirely in darkness now,” Farah remarked, emphasizing the limited operations of only a few government health centers.
Farah’s story reflects a broader crisis experienced by millions of Sudanese families returning home after prolonged displacement due to ongoing conflict. Fighting between the SAF and RSF, which began in April 2023, continues in some regions, though parts of the country, including areas around Khartoum, have seen increased stability following government victories. As conditions improved, many displaced individuals began resettling.
According to a report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 5.27 million displaced Sudanese had returned to nine states as of September 30, with around 82 percent of these individuals having been internally displaced. Children comprise about half of all returnees. An assessment by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in August 2026 indicated that approximately 2.5 million people returned to Khartoum state, although the agency cautioned that mere return does not equate to the ability to rebuild lives. Many returned to find their homes uninhabitable, while job opportunities remained scarce, and access to essential services continued to be inadequate.
Abubakr Ishaq Hamed Ibrahim, 40, who returned to Khartoum in February 2026 after being displaced to River Nile state, encountered similar devastation. Like Farah, Hamed Ibrahim found his home riddled with destruction, lacking any of the furnishings he once owned. Currently, he resides in a rented home in neighboring Omdurman, but affording rent remains a challenge.
“We found nothing inside. Everything was wrecked,” Hamed Ibrahim shared. With unreliable income, he has resorted to casual labor to cover basic living expenses, depleting both savings and borrowed money to manage food, housing, and school fees.
While there are signs of improvement, such as his children returning to school with family support and assistance from organizations like the World Food Programme, the overall situation in Khartoum remains grim. Recent weeks have seen fuel shortages and ongoing power outages that undermine public transportation, with fare increases resulting in extended waits for buses. Additionally, residents contend with shortages of flour, leading to long lines outside bakeries.
In response to the transport crisis, Khartoum state authorities held a meeting chaired by Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza, where they agreed to prioritize public transport services for fuel supply and facilitate government staff commuting. The Popular Resistance of Sudan, which comprises SAF-aligned factions, is also involved in traffic management within the capital.
Economic journalist Khalid Takes noted that the transport crisis underscores the need for a centralized public transport system instead of reliance on private minibuses, indicating that the current approach incurs ongoing costs for the state.
Despite returning to his hometown, Farah expressed concern for his family’s future in Khartoum, stating that unless they receive further assistance, rebuilding their lives seems unattainable. “We have lost everything we had before the war. Now we need assistance because everything we need—housing, healthcare, and education—has been destroyed,” he said.
