IOM launches first Khartoum flight to voluntarily repatriate nearly 100 East African migrants

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched its first voluntary repatriation flight in September 2026 from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, carrying nearly one hundred migrants stranded by the civil war back to their countries of origin, including Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea. The flight marks IOM’s first large‑scale voluntary return operation in Sudan since the conflict erupted in 2023, representing a new development in humanitarian assistance amid ongoing hostilities.

Since the intense clashes that broke out in April 2023 between Sudan’s armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the number of internally displaced persons and foreign migrants in the country has surged dramatically. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than six million people have been forced to flee their homes, many of them East African migrants who have been stranded in Khartoum after flights were cancelled and borders closed. The relentless fighting has further eroded an already fragile safety net for migrants, creating an urgent need for international organizations to intervene and coordinate returns.

As the United Nations system’s specialized agency for migration, IOM’s core mandate includes providing emergency assistance and long‑term resettlement solutions for internally displaced persons, refugees and cross‑border workers. IOM Secretary General Amy Pope said at the launch ceremony that the voluntary return operation offers “a final opportunity to go home for trapped migrants, even in the most extreme circumstances,” thanks to multi‑party cooperation. IOM worked together with Sudan’s Ministry of Transport, airlines and local non‑governmental organizations to ensure that the flight met international standards for safety, passenger verification and reception arrangements in the destination countries.

For the migrants being repatriated, the flight represents a hopeful step toward returning to their homelands; however, observers note that post‑return settlement and employment will continue to require attention from the governments of the receiving states and the broader international community. Sudanese authorities have pledged to assist the relevant countries in establishing temporary reception points at airports and borders to prevent a recurrence of humanitarian gaps. NGO observers warned that if the conflict does not ease, additional stranded migrants are likely to emerge, necessitating sustained IOM resources and coordination.

For Taiwan, the repatriation highlights the complexity and urgency of managing migration in conflict zones. Although Taiwan is not a United Nations member, it has long participated in international cooperation through humanitarian medical aid and disaster relief, offering a practical reference for collaboration with IOM and other multilateral bodies. Should Taiwan pursue labor deployment, investment or diaspora engagements in East Africa or the Middle East, understanding local migration dynamics and security conditions will aid risk assessment and corporate social responsibility planning, while also enhancing Taiwan’s visibility and contribution on the international humanitarian stage.