Sudan Over one million return to Khartoum amid fragile recovery
Sudan: Over One Million Return to Khartoum Amid Fragile Recovery
A City Struggling to Breathe Again
Sudan, Months after relentless fighting turned Khartoum into a war-torn capital, more than one million people are making their way back to the city, a cautious sign of recovery in a country still living through the aftershocks of war. The return marks a new chapter in Sudan’s struggle to rebuild, even as security remains fragile and infrastructure lies in ruins.
The civil conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) displaced millions and devastated the economy. Entire neighborhoods were emptied, hospitals destroyed, and public institutions looted or abandoned. Now, with the frontlines quieting and local ceasefires holding in parts of the capital, residents are trickling back in search of normal life or at least what remains of it.
“I came back because this is home,” said one returning resident from Omdurman, carrying what few belongings he had left. “The city is wounded, but it is still ours.”
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Signs of Life Amid the Ruins
The streets of Khartoum, once choked with fighting, are slowly filling with people again. Markets have begun reopening, small businesses are setting up under makeshift shelters, and aid trucks have started to re-enter the city through secured routes. Yet the scars of conflict are visible everywhere — shattered buildings, bullet-riddled walls, and the silent shells of government offices.
Humanitarian organizations warn that the return of displaced people, while encouraging, could worsen conditions unless basic services are restored quickly. Clean water, electricity, and healthcare remain scarce. The World Food Programme (WFP) has resumed limited operations, focusing on food distribution to returning families, while local volunteers have organized community cleanups and small rebuilding projects.
“People are coming back faster than the city can recover,” said a humanitarian worker based in Khartoum. “Without electricity, water, and medical services, it’s not really a safe return, it’s a desperate one.”
A Fragile Political Context
Politically, Sudan’s situation remains deeply unstable. The uneasy truce between the SAF and RSF has reduced large-scale fighting in Khartoum, but clashes continue in Darfur and other parts of the country. Mediation efforts led by the African Union and Saudi Arabia have produced temporary ceasefires, but a lasting peace deal remains elusive.
The transitional government, once envisioned as a bridge to civilian rule, has largely collapsed under the weight of war. International partners, including the United Nations and IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), are now shifting their focus toward humanitarian aid and local reconciliation rather than immediate political reform.
Analysts warn that the return of civilians could strain the fragile calm if competing factions rush to reassert control over key parts of the capital. “What happens in Khartoum will define Sudan’s next chapter,” said a regional analyst based in Nairobi. “If the city stabilizes, recovery may follow. If it falls back into fighting, the entire country risks renewed chaos.”
Economic Desperation and Human Resilience
The economic fallout from the war has been catastrophic. Sudan’s banking sector remains paralyzed, inflation continues to rise, and fuel shortages have crippled transportation. Many returnees find themselves without jobs or shelter, relying on relatives or small aid stipends.
Despite the hardship, there is a quiet determination among Khartoum’s residents to rebuild. Informal networks have emerged to repair schools, reopen clinics, and organize water deliveries. In some districts, residents have pooled money to repair electricity lines and clear debris from roads.
Local traders have begun importing essential goods from neighboring countries, creating small islands of normalcy amid the devastation. The resilience of the Sudanese people — tested repeatedly through decades of conflict, sanctions, and political upheaval — is once again on display.
International Aid and Limited Hope
The international community faces a difficult balancing act. Donor fatigue has set in after months of appeals, and access challenges continue to hinder relief operations. Aid convoys must negotiate with both sides of the conflict, while bureaucratic restrictions slow deliveries.
Still, UN agencies and NGOs are cautiously scaling up their presence in the capital. Medical teams have reopened several hospitals, and food distribution points are being established across the city. The European Union recently pledged additional funding for humanitarian relief, while Qatar and Egypt have delivered emergency medical supplies.
Diplomats describe the situation as one of “fragile optimism” fragile because the ceasefire could unravel at any time, and optimistic because, for now, the guns are largely silent.
Looking Ahead
The return of over one million people to Khartoum is both a humanitarian milestone and a political test. It shows that despite the devastation, Sudan’s capital still holds its people’s hopes and memories. Yet it also exposes the enormity of what lies ahead: rebuilding a city when the peace is uncertain, restoring trust between factions, and reviving an economy that has nearly collapsed.
For now, Khartoum stands between ruin and renewal. Its people are trying to stitch together a life from the fragments left behind reopening shops, sending children to improvised schools, and praying that the silence in the skies will last.
As one volunteer sweeping rubble from a market street put it, “We can live without power, but not without peace.”
