Hands of Hope: A Nigerian family’s trip home from Sudan

The soft giggles of two young children filled the waiting area at the IOM office in Port Sudan as they showed off to each other the delicate Henna patterns painted on their small hands. “We draw henna on our hands to celebrate our return home to Nigeria,” explained their mother.

Her husband, Mohamed, sat nearby me, holding an IOM bag containing a few belongings.

“Before the conflict, life in Sudan was generous and welcoming. The Sudanese people are known for their hospitality, and I lived a fulfilling life as a student. I also worked part-time to support myself,” said the 27-year-old Nigerian, who has been residing in Khartoum with his wife and two children since 2017.

Mohamed balanced his studies and service to the community well. He served as an Imam, teaching and leading prayers.

But that was before their life turned upside down in April 2023 when conflict erupted causing the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of more than 11 million inside Sudan and more than another 3 million who crossed the border to the neighbouring countries.

“We faced severe challenges, including restrictions of movement and violence, our belongings were taken away from us and it became difficult to survive There was no water, no network, and barely anything to eat.” said Mohamed with a tightening voice.

Mohammed and his family relied on humanitarian assistance and neighbours’ support to survive during those days. IOM assisted Mohammed and his family with receiving emergency travel documents in close coordination with the Nigerian embassy in Port Sudan, pre-departure counselling sessions, medical check-up, pocket money and departure, transit as well as arrival assistance in their country of origin and to afford essential needs once they arrived. This is done through the IOM Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme (VHR), which offers stranded migrants a safe and dignified pathway home.

By the beginning of December 2024, Mohamed and his family were among the 41 migrants in Sudan who returned home through IOM’s VHR Programme.

“Today, we have 18 Nigerians, 22 Somalis and 1 Kenyan that are returning home” said, Khadiga, while reminding migrants to safeguard their personal documents.

The assistance provided to migrants is funded through IOM and the Netherlands’ Cooperation on Migration and Partnerships to Achieve Sustainable Solutions programme (COMPASS), and as part of the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA), funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan, IOM through VHR assisted 1,047 migrants in Sudan to reach their homes with dignity.

Story written by Fedza Lukovac, IOM Sudan Media and Communications