Reasons for Return Attributed to Improved Security: A Reading of the IOM Augdust Report (2/2)

Dr Ahmed Abdel-Baqi
The proportion of returnees consisted of 79% from among the internally displaced, and 21% from abroad, either to their pre-war areas of residence or to their states of origin.
These states include: Gedaref (21%), Khartoum (19%), River Nile (13%), Kassala (10%), Gezira (8%), White Nile (7%), Northern (6%), Sennar (5%), Red Sea (5%), Blue Nile (4%), North, South and West Kordofan (less than 1%), and North, South, Central and West Darfur (less than 1%).
Reasons for Return:
Families that returned to their pre-war homes overwhelmingly attributed their return (97%) to improved security conditions. Some cited a lack of resources in the areas of displacement (2%), availability of services in their original areas (1%), family reunification (1%), and compelled return (less than 1%).
As for return to the states, the reasons varied:
In Gezira, all families (100%) attributed their return to improved security conditions.
In Khartoum, 92% cited security improvements, followed by deterioration of living conditions in the states they had fled to (4%), availability of services in Khartoum (1%), humanitarian assistance (less than 1%), organised return (less than 1%), and family reunification (2%).
Places of Return – Rural vs. Urban:
Some 57% of IDPs returned to rural areas and 43% to urban centres. This, however, varied by state. In Khartoum, 79% returned to urban areas, while in Gezira, 87% returned to rural areas.
Demographically, women made up 52% of returnees, men 48%, while children under 18 accounted for 45% of all returnees.
Shelter of Returnees:
92% of the internally displaced returned to their homes regardless of the extent of damage, 6% lived in collective centres, 1% stayed with host families, and less than 1% lived in rented housing.
Returnees to Khartoum:
A total of 815,178 people returned to Khartoum: 783,232 (96%) were internally displaced and 31,946 (4%) were returnees from neighbouring countries. They returned to 734 sites across 7 localities: Bahri (31%), Ombada (20%), East Nile (15%), Jebel Aulia (14%), Omdurman (12%), Khartoum (5%), and Karari (3%). The number of returnees to Khartoum in August increased by 209,381 compared with July 2025.
Returnees to Darfur:
In West Darfur, 3,920 internally displaced persons returned to 30 sites across 6 localities: Kulos (27%), Jebel Moon (23%), Geneina (21%), Habila (13%), Kreinik (9%), Serba (4%), Khor Baranga (2%), and Beida (1%). The number of returnees to West Darfur increased by 2,000 compared with July 2025, reaching 5,720. Of these, 97% returned from abroad, while only 200 people (3%) returned from within Sudan. It is worth noting that the number of IDPs from West Darfur stands at 388,892.
Outlook – Expected Increase in Returns:
Khartoum is expected to witness an increase in the rate of return. The number of IDPs from Khartoum due to the war reached 3,770,161, of whom 783,232 people (21% of IDPs) have already returned from internal displacement. In addition, 31,946 people returned from neighbouring countries, most from Egypt, which accounted for 86% of all cross-border returnees. The report forecasts the possible return of 2,986,929 people, though this depends on further improvements in security and humanitarian conditions in Khartoum State.

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