RGK Radio – Kenya’s Bold Talk Radio Station for News, Interviews & Real Conversation

Over 1.3 million return home as Sudan faces fragile recovery- UN

WorldView · Rose Achieng · July 26, 2025
Over 1.3 million return home as Sudan faces fragile recovery- UN
Sudanese refugees who fled the violence in their country, ride a cart as they pass other refugees standing beside makeshift shelters near the border between Sudan and Chad in Koufroun, Chad May 6, 2023. PHOTO/REUTERS
In Summary

Sudan now has 10 million IDPs, including 7.7 million uprooted by the current war, while over four million have fled to neighbouring countries.

More than 1.3 million people who had fled their homes due to the conflict in Sudan have returned in recent months, the United Nations announced on Friday, warning that the fragile recovery needs urgent international support to help returnees rebuild their shattered lives.

According to UN agencies, over one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have made their way back to areas now considered relatively safe, while another 320,000 refugees have returned to Sudan this year, mostly from Egypt and South Sudan.

Though fighting has eased in some parts of the country, the UN warned that the overall situation remains deeply unstable.

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.

The RSF lost control of Khartoum in March, leaving the regular army in control of central, northern and eastern Sudan.

However, the western Darfur region remains under RSF control, while Kordofan in the south has become the latest hotspot for heavy fighting.

In a joint statement, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), refugee agency UNHCR, and development agency UNDP called for a sharp increase in global funding, saying humanitarian operations are “massively underfunded” despite growing needs.

Sudan now has 10 million IDPs, including 7.7 million uprooted by the current war, while over four million have fled to neighbouring countries.

"Sudan is the largest humanitarian catastrophe facing our world and also the least remembered," said IOM’s regional director Othman Belbeisi, speaking from Port Sudan during a media briefing in Geneva.

He noted that 71 percent of recent returns have been to Al-Jazira state, followed by eight percent to Khartoum, and most others to Sennar state, all located southeast of the capital.

“We expect 2.1 million to return to Khartoum by the end of this year but this will depend on many factors, especially the security situation and the ability to restore services,” said Belbeisi.

Calling on both warring parties to end the violence, he said, “The vicious, horrifying civil war continues to take lives with impunity. The war has unleashed hell for millions and millions of ordinary people. Sudan is a living nightmare. The violence needs to stop.”

UNHCR’s regional coordinator for the Sudan crisis, Mamadou Dian Balde, reported from Nairobi after visiting Khartoum and the Egypt-Sudan border.

He said returnees from Egypt are coming back “empty handed” to towns and neighbourhoods with destroyed infrastructure and collapsed basic services.

UNDP’s Sudan representative Luca Renda added that the capital is at risk of further cholera outbreaks if essential services are not quickly restored. “What we need is for the international community to support us,” he said.

Renda also highlighted that 1,700 water wells need rehabilitation, while at least six hospitals and 35 schools in Khartoum urgently require repairs.

He raised alarm over the “massive” presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO), including anti-personnel mines discovered in at least five locations in the city.

“It will take years to fully decontaminate the city,” he said, speaking from Port Sudan.

Enjoyed this story? Share it with a friend:

Stay Bold. Stay Informed.
Be the first to know about Kenya's breaking stories and exclusive updates. Tap 'Yes, Thanks' and never miss a moment of bold insights from Radio Generation Kenya.

🔊 Radio Generation 88.8FM Live

Radio Generation 88.8FM is a youth-focused radio station broadcasting live from Kenya. Tune in online to enjoy music, real talk, and fresh vibes 24/7. Live stream URL: https://radiogeneration-atunwadigital.streamguys1.com/radiogeneration

Share this story to keep your friends informed