This year, those who can are making a frantic escape from Khartoum, driven out by war.
Both sides in the conflict agreed to a ceasefire but it was not immediately clear when it would begin.
Ahmed Mubarak, 27, said he felt "extreme anxiety" after the violence erupted on April 15 and before he decided to leave Khartoum on Thursday, taking with him only the clothes he was wearing.
Makram Waleed, a 25-year-old doctor, was hoping to leave Khartoum with his family but was worried about the dangers to his three younger sisters.
And if we leave, will we be able to go back to our house and our lives in Khartoum?