Sudan's war displaced crisis peaks as millions eye return to ruined homes

"According to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), approximately 14 million people have been forced from their homes within the country. These staggering figures in Sudan are part of a broader global surge in forced displacement. UNHCR estimates suggest the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide exceeded 122 million by the first half of 2025. However, amid geopolitical shifts sweeping the Middle East, a countertrend has emerged."

"This shift raises critical questions: what drives people back to conflict zones, and how do they survive in the ruins? Al Jazeera Arabic spoke with experts, officials and returnees to understand the Khartoum case a phenomenon where civilians are trickling back to the Sudanese capital despite the destruction, driven by nostalgia and a fragile sense of stability following the government's recent return to the city."

"Elsewhere in the region, the situation is equally dire. In the Gaza Strip, internal displacement affects nearly two million peoplethe vast majority of the population. Many have been displaced multiple times due to the Israeli offensive that began in October 2023. Adnan Abu Hasna, media adviser for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), describes the situation in Gaza as unique. With 90 percent of homes, schools and infrastructure destroyed, Abu Hasna notes that 2.5 mi"

Sudan hosts the world's largest internal displacement crisis with approximately 14 million people forced from their homes. Global forced displacement exceeded 122 million by mid‑2025, though the overall number of displaced persons fell by 5.9 million for the first time in a decade. Civilians are beginning to trickle back to Khartoum despite widespread destruction, driven by nostalgia and a fragile sense of stability after the government's recent return. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023, has severely damaged infrastructure across all states. In Gaza nearly two million people are internally displaced and 90 percent of key infrastructure has been destroyed.

Read at www.aljazeera.com