More than 2 million people have returned to Khartoum after fleeing the city during the Sudanese civil war [1].
This mass migration back to the capital creates a looming humanitarian crisis because the city lacks the basic infrastructure and services needed to support the returning population. The strain on existing resources threatens to destabilize the fragile recovery of the urban center.
Roughly five million people originally fled Khartoum when paramilitary forces seized the city at the start of the conflict in 2023 [1]. The Sudanese army recaptured the capital that same year [1], leading to a gradual trickle of residents attempting to reclaim their homes and lives.
Despite the military control of the city, the returnees face a capital that is ill-equipped to welcome them. Basic services, including water, electricity, and housing, remain inadequate for the volume of people arriving [1]. Many families return to find their homes destroyed or occupied, while the city's administrative systems struggle to function.
Residents are returning to a city that exists in a state of transition. While the primary combat for the city has shifted, the lack of a comprehensive reconstruction plan means that the 2 million people who have returned [1] must navigate a landscape of ruins and failing utilities.
The gap between the number of returnees and the available resources suggests a prolonged period of hardship for the civilian population. Without significant investment in infrastructure, the capital cannot sustain the roughly 40 percent of the displaced population that has already come home [1].
“More than 2 million people have returned to Khartoum after fleeing the city during the Sudanese civil war.”
The return of millions to Khartoum highlights a critical gap between military victory and civil governance. While the army has secured the territory, the absence of basic utilities and housing indicates that the city is not yet habitable for its original population. This creates a risk of secondary displacement or a deepening humanitarian disaster if international aid and reconstruction efforts do not scale to meet the needs of the returning millions.
