People returning to the central Sudanese city of Wad Madani will need a lot of support as aid workers describe much of the city as a "destroyed skeleton".
Hundreds of thousands of people fled heavy fighting in and around Wad Madani in late-2023, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of the city, which is the capital of Al Jazirah state. In the past few days the Sudanese army recaptured the city, in one of the most significant military developments in months.
Many of the displaced people are now living in awful conditions in overcrowded camps and shelters in eastern Sudan, and Islamic Relief aid workers there say they now expect large numbers of people to start returning to the city in the coming days and weeks - but they will need immediate lifesaving food aid and support to rebuild their lives.
Elsadig Elnour, Islamic Relief's country director in Sudan, says:
"The city is now a skeleton which has seen its public services, markets, food supply, water and healthcare infrastructure destroyed, so people who do return are going to have a lot of needs.
The first and most important priority will be immediate food aid delivery because when they arrive at their homes there will be nothing. Healthcare and support for getting water infrastructure repaired will also be important.
"Despite the destruction and lack of services we're expecting people to return very soon because they're living in such terrible and desperate conditions in the camps and shelters for displaced people in eastern Sudan. People don't have jobs, they don't have enough food, and rents are sky high and unaffordable, so many want to return home as soon as possible even if there is hardly anything there for them.
"Many ordinary people have so little money that they cannot afford to return, so we are calling on the Sudanese government to support them with transport costs so they can return home and begin to restart their lives.”
Islamic Relief Canada continues to call on warring parties to facilitate the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. We call on the international community to step up efforts to prevent famine spreading across the country and reach a lasting peace agreement.