Sudan clashes drive more than 5,000 people into displacement

IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix recorded 5,135 people who had left their homes in Sirba locality as of Aug. 8. The displacement followed fighting that erupted around the Bir Saliba area, adding another wave of movement to a region already severely affected by Sudan’s prolonged war.

Bir Saliba remains a strategic flashpoint

Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi said Saturday that Sudanese forces had pushed back a major RSF assault on Bir Saliba. Located north of El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, the area is strategically significant because key routes connecting the surrounding region to the city pass nearby.

Conflict continues to drive mass displacement

Sudan has remained locked in conflict since April 2023, when tensions over plans to incorporate the RSF into the regular armed forces erupted into open warfare. The fighting between the army and the paramilitary group has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and forced millions from their homes.

IOM reports millions displaced across Sudan

The scale of the humanitarian crisis remains substantial. By the end of June 2026, IOM had counted approximately 8.69 million internally displaced people across Sudan. The agency also recorded more than 4.64 million people who had returned either to their communities within Sudan or to the country after previously fleeing abroad.