Khartoum: The United Nations expects more than two million displaced people in Sudan to return to the capital, Khartoum, over the next six months. Head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) mission in Sudan, Mohamed Refaat, stressed in press statements the need to prepare for the start of the return of many displaced people to their homes in Khartoum, adding: “We are witnessing the return of people, and we see hope on the horizon. We estimate that over the next six months, 2.1 million people will return to the capital, Khartoum.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Refaat explained that the return will depend on the security situation and the availability of services on the ground, stressing that preparing the city to receive a mass influx will pose a major challenge for local authorities. Refaat continued, “We see that some areas in Khartoum itself have been cleared, but I am certain that the process will take longer,” adding that the entire electricity grid in Khartoum has been complet
ely destroyed.

He noted that some of those who sought refuge in Egypt have begun returning to Sudan, explaining that in the past two days, approximately 33,000 people have returned from Egypt to Sudan, the majority of whom returned to the areas of Al-Jazirah, Sennar, and the east of the country.

Since the outbreak of the conflict on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, Sudan has witnessed a massive displacement crisis. According to UN reports, more than 12 million people have been displaced, making it the worst displacement crisis in the world at present.