Sudanese Refugees Begin Journey Home from Cairo After Khartoum Recapture

A Sudanese woman and children, who were driven from their homes and are now returning, wait for their train to Aswan at Cairo's Ramses railway station, Egypt, Monday, July 21, 2025

Hundreds of Sudanese nationals displaced by ongoing civil war gathered at Cairo’s central train station on Monday to begin a government-sponsored journey back to Khartoum, Sudan’s war-ravaged capital.

The Egyptian government is funding the return of refugees following the Sudanese Armed Forces’ recent recapture of Khartoum from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The city had been under RSF control since the conflict erupted in April 2023, but was officially declared reclaimed by the government on May 20.

A Sudanese woman, who was driven from her home and is now returning, prepares to enter her train to Aswan at Cairo's Ramses railway station, Egypt, Monday, July 21, 2025

The brutal civil war between Sudan’s military and the RSF has plunged the country into a humanitarian catastrophe. More than 40,000 people have been killed, and over 7 million have been displaced internally, with Egypt hosting more than 1.5 million Sudanese refugees—the highest number of any country.

Now, many are heading home despite the massive destruction in Khartoum, where infrastructure including the presidential palace and airport was severely damaged. Although electricity and essential services remain limited, markets have slowly begun to reopen, and residents are gradually returning.

Sudanese people, who were driven from their homes and are now returning, celebrate as they enter their train to Aswan at Cairo's Ramses railway station, Egypt, Monday, July 21, 2025

The journey home spans approximately 2,080 kilometers (1,292 miles) and includes a 12-hour train ride from Cairo to Aswan in southern Egypt. From there, travelers will board ferries and buses to cross into Sudan and continue on to the capital.

Passengers at the train station packed their belongings into small suitcases, filled with a mix of sorrow and anticipation. “I am happy because I am finally going back to my family and my children,” said Awatef al Hassan, a Sudanese woman from Omdurman traveling with her daughter.

A Sudanese man, who was driven from his home and is now returning, is seen through a broken window as he prepares to enter his train to Aswan at Cairo's Ramses railway station, Egypt, Monday, July 21, 2025

Sudanese journalist Asem al-Taieb, who joined the journey, described the emotional atmosphere as one of “overwhelming emotions,” with tears of both sadness and joy marking the return of people to a country still reeling from war.