Khartoum's Displaced Face Devastation and Uncertainty Upon Return

After the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) declared Khartoum state free of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters, many displaced residents began returning. Mohamed Mahdi Makki Farah, 51, returned to his home near the Sudanese capital in August 2025, having fled Jabal Awliya, south of Khartoum, for el-Fasher in North Darfur in June 2023. Upon his return, he found his home destroyed and looted, with even household utensils missing. "Everything had been completely destroyed. Now we sleep on the floor, and some of us are living in rented houses," Makki Farah told Al Jazeera. "We have not made any decision to repair our home because the costs are extremely high, and we have not been able to start." His savings as a trader were significantly depleted, with his business capital reduced by nearly two-thirds due to the Sudanese pound’s depreciation. The displacement and return journey consumed his remaining resources, compounded by children's medical expenses and daily living costs, leaving him unable to afford home repairs and adding rent as an extra burden. Access to water, electricity, and healthcare services remains challenging. The family also lost crucial documents, necessitating a complete replacement process. "Everyone knows about the water and electricity problems; Khartoum is almost entirely in darkness now. As for healthcare, only government health centres are operating, thank God," Makki Farah stated.

Makki Farah's experience mirrors that of millions of Sudanese families returning to their homes after periods of displacement. While fighting between the SAF and RSF, which began in April 2023, persists, particularly in the country's southeast, large parts of Sudan, including Khartoum, have seen improved stability following government victories. Consequently, displaced individuals from these areas are returning as the situation stabilizes. According to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix report from September 30, approximately 5.27 million Sudanese had returned to their homes across nine states, with 82 percent being internally displaced and 18 percent having crossed international borders. Children constituted about half of all returnees.

A United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) assessment in August 2026 indicated that around 2.5 million people had returned to Khartoum state. However, the agency cautioned that return does not guarantee the necessary conditions for rebuilding lives. Many found their homes damaged or uninhabitable, and employment opportunities remain scarce. Inadequate access to water and basic services, due to war-related infrastructure damage, is also a significant issue. Many returnees continue to rent accommodations as they cannot afford home repairs.

Abubakr Ishaq Hamed Ibrahim, 40, returned to Khartoum in February 2026 after being displaced to River Nile state in May 2023. Similar to Makki Farah, he discovered his home had been looted and destroyed, with all accumulated furniture, bedding, and belongings gone. He and his family relocated to Omdurman, a neighboring city, renting a home in the al-Thawra neighborhood, but affording rent proved difficult without a steady income. "Our homes were looted and destroyed. We found nothing inside. Everything was wrecked, and we had no furniture, no bedding, nothing at all. We were unable to pay the rent for several months, and rents are quite expensive. We have been through extremely difficult conditions, and even now we have no stable source of income," he recounted.

Before the war, Hamed Ibrahim was self-employed but now relies on casual labor. His family has depleted their savings and borrowed from relatives and friends to cover essential expenses like food, housing, and school fees. "Thank God, we are now doing casual jobs. The income is not enough to meet the cost of living and the daily burdens. We have exhausted all the money and savings we had, and we have borrowed money from individuals," he said. His children have resumed schooling with support from relatives, and the family receives in-kind aid, including sorghum, flour, wheat, oil, and sugar, from organizations like the World Food Programme. Despite these supports, the situation in Khartoum remains dire for most residents, with recent fuel shortages and frequent power outages disrupting public transport and increasing fares. Long queues at bakeries due to flour shortages are also common.

Families with limited financial resources, few job prospects, and homes requiring expensive repairs are the most severely affected. On Saturday, Khartoum state authorities announced measures to alleviate the transport crisis, including supplying public transport with fuel and prioritizing buses. Government departments were also directed to provide lifts to residents commuting to and from work. Members of the Popular Resistance of Sudan are assisting with traffic management in the capital. Economic journalist and specialist Khalid Takes highlighted that the public transport crisis underscores the need for greater state responsibility in managing a centralized system, rather than relying solely on private minibuses. "No country has left the public transport sector entirely in the hands of the private sector, which relies on small vehicles," he told Al Jazeera. "This results in ongoing costs for the state, both directly and indirectly, particularly in importing spare parts and fuel, which require foreign currency." Makki Farah emphasized that his return to Khartoum is insufficient to restore his pre-war life, and he foresees no future in the capital without additional support. "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 concluded.