IOM: 24k+ displaced by fires in Sudan in first five months of 2026
Aftermath of a Ffre at a shelter for displaced people in Golo, Jebel Marra - April 27, 2026 (Photo: Golo Emergency Room)
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that Sudan’s fire season between January and May this year displaced 24,171 people, nearly four times the number recorded during the same period in 2025.
The organisation said that around 5,576 people were displaced by fires in May 2026 alone.
Large areas of Sudan, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan, have experienced extensive fires that have caused deaths and significant damage to property.
Separately, the IOM reported that 4,441,570 returnees have been recorded across 74 localities in nine states.
According to the organisation’s report, 83 per cent of returnees came back from internal displacement, while 17 per cent returned from abroad.
The report also noted that more than 50 per cent of both displaced people and returnees are children under the age of 18.
The number of internally displaced people has fallen by 24 per cent compared with the highest level previously recorded, and by less than one per cent compared with the previous month. The total number of displaced people currently stands at 8.806 million.
Meanwhile, the number of returnees increased by six per cent compared with the previous month.
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