Internal Displacement and Return Movements in Sudan

Report Reference: TYFA-SDN-DISP-002/2026
Country: Sudan
Reporting Organisation: The Youth Future Alliance (TYFA)
Programme: Humanitarian Monitoring and Community Reporting
Sector: Displacement, Protection, Shelter and Essential Services
Reporting Date: 25 September 2026
Reporting Period: Primarily January–August 2026
Classification: Public Humanitarian Report

1. Executive Summary

Sudan continues to experience a major displacement crisis despite substantial return movements during 2025 and 2026.

According to the International Organization for Migration's Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM), approximately 8.58 million people remained internally displaced across Sudan as of 26 August 2026. IOM also recorded approximately 5.15 million returnees, reflecting substantial movements towards areas of origin.

Children account for a significant proportion of both populations. IOM's August assessment indicates that approximately 55% of internally displaced persons and 50% of returnees are under 18 years of age.

Return movements represent an important change in Sudan's displacement pattern, but they should not be interpreted automatically as evidence of humanitarian recovery. Earlier IOM assessments found that many returning households were going back to damaged homes and areas where basic services and livelihoods had been severely disrupted.

This report consolidates available humanitarian evidence with information collected directly by The Youth Future Alliance (TYFA). External statistics are clearly attributed to their originating organisations, while TYFA field observations and community testimony are separately identified.

2. Purpose of the Report

The purpose of this report is to document the humanitarian situation affecting internally displaced people and returning communities in Sudan and to establish a structured record that can support humanitarian planning, advocacy and future submissions to humanitarian and international organisations.

The report specifically examines:

• the scale and geographical extent of internal displacement;
• recent return movements;
• conditions affecting returning households;
• protection and essential-service concerns;
• the particular vulnerability of children;
• continuing and secondary displacement; and
• observations collected through TYFA's field and community networks.

This report does not attempt to determine responsibility for individual violations or incidents. Where allegations are documented in future field reporting, they should be recorded separately and subjected to additional verification.

3. Background

Sudan's current armed conflict began on 15 April 2023 and resulted in extensive population displacement.

IOM reports that Sudan already had approximately 3.8 million internally displaced people before the current conflict, largely as a result of earlier conflicts and insecurity.

The displaced population subsequently increased dramatically, reaching approximately 11.58 million internally displaced people in January 2025.

IOM documented 805 displacement-triggering events between April 2023 and April 2026, illustrating the repeated and geographically widespread nature of population movements during the conflict.

Although the national number of internally displaced people has subsequently declined as millions have returned towards their areas of origin, displacement remains at an exceptionally high level.

4. Current Displacement Situation

IOM's Baseline Assessment covering 1–26 August 2026 estimated:

Source: IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix.

The geographical spread is important. Internal displacement is not confined to one region of Sudan; displaced populations have been recorded across all 18 states.

These national figures should nevertheless be understood as estimates based on IOM's methodology, accessibility and information available during the assessment period.

Population movements remain fluid, and conditions can change rapidly.

5. Return Movements

One of the most significant developments during 2026 has been the increase in return movements.

By 26 August 2026, IOM recorded approximately 5.15 million returnees across 77 localities in nine states. Around 82% were people returning following internal displacement, while approximately 18% had returned from outside Sudan.

This represents a significant population movement towards areas of origin.

However, TYFA considers it important to distinguish between three concepts:

Return means that a displaced person has physically returned to an area of origin.

Reintegration means that the individual or household has been able to re-establish social and economic life within the community.

Recovery means that essential conditions—including safety, shelter, healthcare, education, water and livelihoods—have sufficiently improved.

A recorded return therefore does not, by itself, demonstrate sustainable reintegration or humanitarian recovery.

6. Conditions Facing Returning Families

The condition of communities to which people are returning remains a major humanitarian concern.

IOM's assessment of three years of displacement found that approximately 60% of returning households were returning to damaged homes, including properties with damaged walls or windows and collapsed roofs.

Consequently, families classified statistically as returnees may continue to require shelter, food, healthcare, water, sanitation, education and livelihood assistance.

Damage to civilian infrastructure may also affect whether returns can be sustained.

For humanitarian monitoring purposes, TYFA therefore recommends that returning households should continue to be assessed after their physical return.

7. Children and Displacement

Children constitute more than half of Sudan's internally displaced population.

According to IOM's August 2026 assessment, approximately 55% of internally displaced people are children under 18. Children also constitute approximately half of the recorded returnee population.

Displacement can expose children to multiple and overlapping humanitarian risks, including:

interrupted education; inadequate shelter; food insecurity and malnutrition; reduced access to healthcare and vaccination; family separation; unsafe water and sanitation; and heightened protection concerns.

For this reason, TYFA field assessments should record household composition wherever doing so is safe and appropriate.

Children's identities should not be included in public reports.

8. Continuing and Secondary Displacement

Large-scale return movements are occurring at the same time as new displacement.

IOM documented approximately 350,000 newly displaced people between October 2025 and March 2026, particularly following increased insecurity affecting North Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile State.

Environmental and accidental hazards have also contributed to population movement. IOM recorded approximately 24,171 people displaced by fires between January and May 2026, substantially more than during the equivalent period in 2025.

These patterns demonstrate an important characteristic of Sudan's displacement emergency:

Return and displacement are occurring simultaneously.

National reductions in the IDP population therefore do not necessarily mean that every region is becoming more stable.

9. TYFA Field Observations

Evidence Classification: Direct TYFA Observation

This section records only information directly observed by authorised TYFA personnel or designated field monitors.

TYFA field documentation should establish:

Location: Sudan / Darfur and Kordovan
Observation date: September 2025 - September 2026
Field monitor: DT00012  -- KT00030
Evidence reference: TYFA-SDN-DISP-002-KT-DT

Observation

During field monitoring conducted in Nyala, El-fashir and Babanoossa in September 2025 - 2026, TYFA personnel directly observed:

• temporary and damaged shelter;
• displaced households living with host communities;
• families returning to damaged properties;
• availability of drinking water;
• accessibility of healthcare;
• functioning and damaged schools;
• market availability;
• food availability;
• sanitation conditions;
• transportation and road access; and
• other observable humanitarian conditions.

10. Community Testimony

Evidence Classification: Information Reported Directly to TYFA

Each interview  receive an anonymous identifier:

TYFA-SDN-DISP-002-W01
TYFA-SDN-DISP-002-W02
TYFA-SDN-DISP-002-W03

Community Testimony — Displacement and Return Conditions

Interview period: September 2025 – September 2026
Locations: Nyala, South Darfur; El Fasher, North Darfur; Babanusa, West Kordofan
Source categories: Displaced persons, returnees, community representatives and humanitarian workers
Consent obtained: Yes
Identity protected: Yes
Corroboration: Multiple independent sources and supporting documentary evidence
Evidence classification: TYFA direct testimony / community-source evidence

Testimony:

Between September 2025 and September 2026, The Youth Future Alliance (TYFA) collected testimony from displaced persons, returnees, community representatives and humanitarian workers concerning displacement conditions in Nyala, El Fasher and Babanusa.

Interviewees consistently described repeated displacement associated with insecurity and armed conflict. Several displaced respondents reported leaving their homes with limited belongings and moving to locations they considered safer. Some described moving more than once as security conditions changed.

Respondents described disruption to normal livelihoods and difficulties accessing food, healthcare, safe water, transportation and other essential services. Some families reported relying increasingly on relatives, host communities and local community-support networks after displacement.

Returnees interviewed by TYFA described returning to their areas of origin after periods of displacement. Some reported finding homes or community infrastructure damaged and said that access to basic services and livelihood opportunities remained limited after their return.

Community representatives and humanitarian workers interviewed by TYFA also reported continuing humanitarian needs among both displaced and returning populations. They identified shelter, food, healthcare, water, protection and restoration of livelihoods among the principal concerns affecting communities with which they were working.

These accounts were obtained from multiple sources and were compared with available documentary material. Where TYFA could not independently establish a particular incident, casualty figure, cause of damage or alleged responsible party, that information has not been presented in this report as an independently verified fact.

11. Shelter and Housing

Housing conditions represent a major challenge for both displaced and returning households.

Temporary displacement sites may lack adequate protection from weather and environmental hazards, while families returning to their communities may encounter partially or completely damaged properties.

The IOM finding that a substantial proportion of returning households were returning to damaged homes demonstrates that population return should not be treated as synonymous with the resolution of shelter needs.

TYFA field teams should document housing conditions using photographs where consent and safety considerations permit.

Photographs should retain the original file wherever possible.

12. Water, Health and Essential Services

13. Protection Concerns

Displacement can increase exposure to protection risks, particularly for children, women, older people, people with disabilities and households separated from community support networks.

14. Priority Humanitarian Needs

Based on the humanitarian evidence reviewed for this report, priority areas include adequate emergency and transitional shelter; food and livelihood support; safe water and sanitation; accessible healthcare; restoration of education; protection services; and assistance enabling safe and sustainable voluntary return.

Returning communities also require support for rebuilding homes and restoring livelihoods and essential civilian services.

Humanitarian assistance should be provided according to assessed need and without discrimination.

15. TYFA Humanitarian Assessment

Available evidence indicates that Sudan is experiencing a transition in its displacement dynamics rather than the conclusion of the displacement emergency.

Millions of people have returned towards their areas of origin, but approximately 8.58 million people remained internally displaced in August 2026.

Furthermore, the humanitarian significance of more than five million recorded returns cannot be assessed from population figures alone.

The condition of housing, access to essential services, civilian safety and the restoration of livelihoods will determine whether returns become sustainable.

TYFA therefore considers continued monitoring of both displaced populations and returnee communities necessary.

16. Evidence and Verification Framework

All evidence collected for this and subsequent TYFA reports should be classified as follows:

Level A — Direct Observation

Personally witnessed and documented by an authorised TYFA field monitor.

Level B — Direct Testimony

Information provided directly to TYFA by an affected person, eyewitness or community representative.

Level C — Corroborated Information

Information independently supported by multiple sources, photographs, documents, geolocation, humanitarian datasets or other reliable evidence.

Level D — External Verified Source

Information officially published by organisations such as IOM, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO or other identified institutions.

Level E — Unverified Information

Information received by TYFA that has not yet been sufficiently corroborated.

17. Limitations

This report does not constitute a comprehensive survey of every displaced or returning population in Sudan.

National displacement figures originate from IOM DTM and have not been independently reproduced by TYFA.

TYFA field findings apply only to locations actually monitored.

Access restrictions, insecurity, telecommunications disruptions and continuing population movement may prevent information from being collected from some affected communities.

The absence of documented information from a location should therefore not be interpreted as evidence that humanitarian needs do not exist there.

18. Conclusion

Sudan continues to experience displacement on a very large scale.

Approximately 8.58 million people remained internally displaced as of August 2026, while approximately 5.15 million returnees had been recorded. Children constitute more than half of the internally displaced population.

Large-scale returns represent an important development, but they do not automatically indicate humanitarian recovery. Returning households may encounter damaged housing, disrupted essential services and limited livelihood opportunities.

At the same time, new displacement continues in areas affected by insecurity and other hazards.

The Youth Future Alliance will continue to document these conditions through direct field observation, community testimony and independently identified humanitarian sources, while maintaining a clear distinction between observed facts, testimony, external data and information awaiting verification.

References

International Organization for Migration (IOM), Displacement Tracking Matrix — Sudan Baseline Assessment, 1–26 August 2026.
IOM DTM Sudan Baseline Assessment

International Organization for Migration (IOM), Sudan: Three Years of Conflict and Displacement, April 2026.
IOM — Three Years of Conflict and Displacement

International Organization for Migration (IOM), Sudan Displacement and Return Snapshots, 2026.
IOM Sudan DTM Reports

Prepared by:
The Youth Future Alliance (TYFA)
Humanitarian Monitoring and Community Reporting Programme

Report: TYFA-SDN-DISP-002/2026
Date: 25 September 2026
Country: Sudan
Website: theyfa.com