Sudan Displacement and Return Crisis: Millions Remain Uprooted as Families Begin Returning Home

TYFA Humanitarian Situation Report No. 02
Report reference: TYFA-SDN-DISP-002/2026
Reporting organisation: The Youth Future Alliance (TYFA)
Country: Sudan
Sector: Displacement / Protection / Shelter
Reporting date: 25 September 2026
Status: Public Humanitarian Situation Report

Executive Summary

Sudan continues to face one of the world's most severe displacement emergencies. Although significant numbers of people have begun returning to their areas of origin, millions remain internally displaced and many returnees face damaged housing, disrupted basic services and uncertain livelihood conditions.

The latest nationwide data available from the International Organization for Migration's Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM), covering 1–26 August 2026, recorded approximately 8,583,274 internally displaced persons across 185 localities in all 18 states of Sudan. The same assessment recorded approximately 5,145,165 returnees across 77 localities in nine states. (DTM)

Approximately 55% of internally displaced people and 50% of returnees were children under 18, highlighting the significant protection, education, nutrition and healthcare implications of the crisis. (DTM)

The reduction in the overall IDP population should not be interpreted as the end of Sudan's displacement emergency. IOM reported that internal displacement remains historically high, while new displacement continues to occur in conflict-affected areas. (DTM)

1. Scale of the Displacement Crisis

Sudan's displacement crisis expanded dramatically following the outbreak of the current conflict on 15 April 2023.

IOM's three-year review reported that the number of internally displaced people rose from approximately 3.8 million before the current conflict to a peak of 11.58 million in January 2025. Between April 2023 and April 2026, IOM recorded 805 events that triggered displacement. (DTM)

By August 2026, the estimated internally displaced population had fallen to approximately 8.58 million, largely reflecting substantial return movements. However, this still represents a population more than twice the pre-conflict displacement level. (DTM)

Displacement has affected every Sudanese state. IOM's monitoring covers more than 13,000 locations across all 18 states. (DTM)

2. Return Movements Are Increasing

Alongside continuing displacement, Sudan is experiencing significant population returns.

IOM recorded approximately 5.15 million returnees by 26 August 2026. Around 82% had returned after being internally displaced, while approximately 18% had returned from outside Sudan. (DTM)

This represents a substantial increase from June 2026, when IOM recorded approximately 4.65 million returnees, and July, when approximately 4.93 million had been recorded. (DTM)

Cross-border return movements are also significant. IOM recorded 953,964 people crossing back into Sudan from neighbouring countries between January 2024 and June 2026. Of those recorded, 81% returned from Egypt and 19% from Chad, with smaller proportions returning from Ethiopia and Eritrea. (DTM)

These figures demonstrate substantial movement back towards communities of origin, but return itself does not establish that humanitarian needs have ended.

3. Returning to Damaged Communities

One of the most important humanitarian concerns is the condition to which displaced families are returning.

IOM's three-year displacement assessment found that 60% of returning households were returning to damaged homes, including houses with collapsed roofs and damaged walls or windows. The same assessment found that improved security was the most commonly reported reason for returning. (DTM)

Return therefore needs to be examined separately from recovery.

A family may have physically returned to its home area while continuing to require humanitarian assistance because housing, healthcare, education, water systems, electricity, markets or employment opportunities remain unavailable or damaged.

TYFA considers this distinction important when documenting return movements: "returned" should not automatically be recorded as "resettled", "recovered" or "no longer in need."

4. Children and Displacement

Children represent a particularly significant proportion of Sudan's displaced population.

According to IOM's August snapshot, approximately 55% of internally displaced people were under 18 years old. Children also represented approximately half of the recorded returnee population. (DTM)

Large-scale displacement can expose children to overlapping humanitarian risks, including interruption to education, family separation, inadequate shelter, food insecurity and reduced access to healthcare and protection services.

TYFA therefore recommends that future field monitoring record not simply the number of displaced households but also household composition, including the number and approximate age groups of children.

5. TYFA Direct Field Observation

Evidence classification: Level A — Direct TYFA Observation

This section should contain only information actually observed by authorised TYFA personnel.

TYFA Field Observation — [LOCATION]

On [DATE], a TYFA field representative visited [VILLAGE/TOWN/LOCALITY/STATE] and directly observed [NUMBER, if reliably counted] displaced/returning households or individuals.

The team observed [shelter conditions], [water conditions], [food availability], [health services], [school conditions] and [other relevant humanitarian conditions].

Photographs/video references: TYFA-DISP-002-IMG-[001–XXX]

GPS/location verification: [record internally where safe]

Observer: TYFA Field Monitor [CODE]

Verification status: Directly observed by TYFA

Do not replace the brackets with estimated or invented information.

6. Information Reported Directly to TYFA

Information provided by affected communities but not directly witnessed by TYFA should be separated from field observations.

For example:

TYFA Community Source — Verification Pending

On [DATE], [NUMBER] residents interviewed by TYFA in [LOCATION] reported that [DESCRIPTION].

TYFA had not independently verified the reported incident at the time of publication.

Each interview should receive an anonymous source code, such as:

TYFA-SDN-DISP-002-W01

The person's full identity, telephone number and other identifying information should not appear in the public report. Those details should be stored securely if there is a legitimate need to retain them.

7. Continuing and Secondary Displacement

Return movements are occurring alongside continued displacement.

IOM reported that approximately 350,000 people were newly internally displaced between October 2025 and March 2026, primarily because of increased insecurity affecting Al Fasher/North Darfur, the Kordofan region and Blue Nile State. (DTM)

Other hazards have compounded displacement. IOM recorded approximately 24,171 people displaced by fires between January and May 2026, nearly four times the number recorded during the equivalent period of 2025. (DTM)

These findings demonstrate the fluid nature of displacement in Sudan: national return figures can increase at the same time that other communities experience new or repeated displacement.

8. Humanitarian Needs of Displaced and Returning Communities

Based on the external evidence reviewed, future TYFA field assessments should examine six interconnected areas: shelter and housing; food and livelihoods; water and sanitation; healthcare; education; and protection.

For returnees in particular, assessments should determine whether homes are habitable, drinking water is available, health facilities and schools are functioning, markets are accessible, livelihoods can resume and unexploded ordnance or other safety hazards have been reported.

TYFA should document these conditions independently rather than assuming that a return movement means that services have been restored.

9. TYFA Humanitarian Assessment

The available evidence indicates two simultaneous developments in Sudan.

First, millions of Sudanese are returning to their areas of origin. The increase to more than five million recorded returnees represents an important change in population movements. (DTM)

Second, the displacement emergency remains extremely large. Approximately 8.58 million people remained internally displaced as of the latest nationwide IOM assessment. (DTM)

Consequently, humanitarian planning needs to address both displaced populations and returning communities.

The sustainability and safety of return cannot be determined from movement figures alone. Conditions in areas of return—including housing, civilian protection, basic services and livelihoods—require continued monitoring.

10. Methodology and Verification

This TYFA report uses four evidence classifications:

Level A — Direct TYFA Observation: Personally observed and documented by an authorised TYFA field monitor.

Level B — Direct testimony: Information provided directly to TYFA by affected people, witnesses or community representatives.

Level C — Verified external information: Information published by IOM, UN agencies or other identified humanitarian organisations.

Level D — Unverified information: Information received by TYFA for which adequate corroboration has not yet been obtained.

Level D information should not be presented publicly as established fact.

Where different sources provide different figures, TYFA should preserve both the source and reporting date rather than selecting whichever figure appears more dramatic.

11. Limitations

Displacement figures represent estimates based on IOM DTM methodology and available access and information. Population movements can occur rapidly, meaning figures may change after the assessment period.

TYFA has not independently counted Sudan's nationwide displaced or returnee populations. National figures in this report are attributed to IOM.

TYFA field observations apply only to locations actually visited or documented by its authorised field network and should not be generalised to Sudan as a whole.

12. Conclusion

Sudan remains affected by displacement on an extraordinary scale.

The latest nationwide IOM DTM assessment available for this report recorded approximately 8.58 million internally displaced people and 5.15 million returnees. Children constitute more than half of the internally displaced population. (DTM)

Increasing return movements are significant, but they should not be treated as evidence that the displacement crisis has ended. Previous IOM assessments found substantial housing damage among returning households, while conflict continues to generate new displacement in parts of Sudan. (DTM)

The Youth Future Alliance will continue documenting conditions affecting displaced and returning communities through direct observation, community testimony and clearly attributed humanitarian sources.

Prepared by: The Youth Future Alliance (TYFA)
Programme: Humanitarian Monitoring and Community Reporting
Report reference: TYFA-SDN-DISP-002/2026
Reporting date: 25 September 2026
Country: Sudan
Website: The Youth Future Alliance (TYFA)

Principal sources

IOM DTM — Sudan Displacement and Return Snapshot, August 2026

IOM DTM — Sudan: Three Years of Conflict and Displacement

IOM DTM — July 2026 Displacement and Return Snapshot