Over 3.3 million displaced Sudanese returned home in November 2025, IOM reports

The International Organization for Migration reported on Monday that over 3.3 million displaced Sudanese returned to their places of origin in November 2025, marking a significant step toward recovery amid the ongoing conflict. According to IOM data collected from more than 12,000 sites across Sudan’s 18 states, an estimated 3,334,705 individuals returned to nearly 2,500 locations in nine states—representing a 10% increase from the previous month.

Composition of Returnees

The vast majority—83%—of those who returned had been internally displaced within Sudan, while 17% came back from abroad. Children under 18 made up more than half (55%) of the internally displaced returnees and 45% of those returning from other countries. Despite these positive trends, the IOM noted that approximately 9.26 million people remain internally displaced across more than 11,000 locations nationwide.

Displacement Trends and Conflict Context

Internal displacement in Sudan has decreased by about 20% from its peak of roughly 11.5 million earlier in the conflict, though numbers rose in several states including the Darfur region, South Kordofan, White Nile, and the capital Khartoum. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023, has killed thousands and displaced millions. The RSF controls most of the Darfur region, while the army holds much of the rest of the country.