8-14 February 2026 Sudan News Summary: civilians return, drone strikes on humanitarian aid

15 Feb

Arabic news roundup

By William Greenwood

International Organization for Migration: 3.5 million Sudanese return home

The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed on Monday that the number of people returning to their homes has risen to more than 3.5 million, both within Sudan and from abroad, across nine of the country's 18 states.
The return movement from displacement sites and countries of asylum began after the army regained control of Sennar, Gezira, and Khartoum states, leading to a 21% decrease in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) compared to the peak recorded in January 2025, when the number reached 11.5 million.
The IOM indicated that these individuals returned to 2,575 locations in 65 localities across nine states, and of these 97% settled in their original areas.
The IOM stated that Khartoum State witnessed the highest return movement, with 1,363,071 individuals returning out of a total of 3,770,161 who fled their homes.
The report stated that the number of displaced persons decreased to 9,139,309, with Darfur states hosting 62% of the total displaced population.

The executive director of Babanusa locality, Suleiman Omar Bilal, stated that approximately 2,353 families have returned to the city from its outskirts and neighbouring localities in less than two months.
Bilal explained that the food baskets distributed to the returnees are insufficient to meet the population's needs, noting that residents are facing severe difficulties in obtaining drinking water due to the limited number of functioning water pumps.
He indicated that Babanusa Hospital was completely destroyed by aerial bombardment, forcing authorities to open a single health center to serve the city.
The executive director warned of the increasing dangers posed by remnants of war, including unexploded ordnance and landmines planted within the city.
He said that landmines are scattered in large quantities in main streets, homes, markets, places of worship, and even around health facilities, pointing to frequent explosions.
The local official emphasised that the resources available to the engineering team in Babanusa are insufficient to deal with the landmines, especially since they are sophisticated types containing plastic components that are difficult to detect with conventional equipment.

By Samuel Hunt

An RSF drone strike near El Rahad in North Kordofan killed at least 24 displaced people, including eight children and two infants, as they fled fighting.
The RSF also targeted humanitarian aid convoys and fuel trucks in North Kordofan, destroying supplies bound for famine-hit communities and killing at least one aid worker.
The United Nations and the United States condemned the attacks, with Washington calling the strike on a World Food Programme convoy “sickening” and urging accountability.
The incidents underscore the increasing use of drones in populated areas, putting civilians at risk and disrupting life-saving aid deliveries.

Sources: Al Jazeera, DW, The Guardian, PBS

Médecins Sans Frontières has launched an emergency intervention in El Obeid, North Kordofan, to support displaced families facing critical shortages of safe water, sanitation and healthcare.
MSF says overcrowded conditions and limited basic services are increasing the risk of disease outbreaks as people continue to flee fighting into the city.
The UN reports that more than three million people have returned to their areas of origin across Sudan, many to destroyed homes and damaged infrastructure.
Aid agencies warn that returnees urgently need shelter, water, health services and schools, stressing that return does not mean recovery without sustained support.

Sources: MSF, UN

Bill Greenwood