A devastating landslide has struck the western Darfur region of Sudan, killing over 1,000 people and destroying an entire village in the Marrah Mountains area of Central Darfur. The disaster occurred on Sunday, following days of heavy rainfall, and has left the region reeling.
According to the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), the rebel group that controls the area, the village of Tarasin was “completely levelled to the ground,” with only one survivor reported.
The SLM/A has appealed to the United Nations and international aid groups for assistance in recovering the bodies of victims.
The United Nations has expressed its deep sadness over the reported landslide and is mobilizing to support affected communities at the scene. Luca Renda, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, said he was “deeply saddened” by the disaster and emphasized the need for immediate support.
The disaster has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where millions of people are in dire need of assistance due to the ongoing conflict between the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The region has become mostly inaccessible to the UN and aid groups, with Doctors Without Borders describing it as a “black hole” in Sudan’s humanitarian response.
The remote location of the village, accessible only by foot or donkeys, has posed significant challenges to search teams. Mohamed Abdel-Rahman al-Nair, a SLM/A spokesman, highlighted the difficulties in reaching the area due to bad weather and lack of resources.
The International Organization for Migration has called for safe access and scaling-up of support to the area.
The Marrah Mountains, where the landslide occurred, are a volcanic area with a height of over 3,000 meters at its summit. The region is known for its lower temperatures and higher rainfall than surrounding areas.
The landslide is one of the deadliest natural disasters in Sudan’s recent history, with hundreds of people dying every year in seasonal rains that run from July to October.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has led to a massive humanitarian crisis, with famine already declared in parts of Darfur.
The RSF has been attempting to capture the strategic city of el-Fasher, the last major population center held by the army in the Darfur region. The situation remains dire, with many people in urgent need of assistance.