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Sudan has issued an urgent international appeal for assistance after a catastrophic landslide struck the western Darfur region, reportedly killing more than 1,000 residents and obliterating the village of Tarasin. The disaster, described as one of the deadliest in the nation’s recent history, occurred on Sunday following several days of relentless rainfall.
The landslide, which swept through the Marrah Mountains in Central Darfur, left the entire village of Tarasin buried beneath debris. According to preliminary reports, nearly all residents perished, with only one survivor reported. Local rebel faction, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army (SLM-A), described the destruction as “total,” adding that the magnitude of the disaster was beyond comprehension.
“The village has been completely flattened,” SLM-A leader Abdel-Wahid Nour said in a statement on Tuesday. “We call upon the international community, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations to provide immediate support for recovery and relief.”
The Sovereign Council in Khartoum expressed deep sorrow over the mass casualties, stating that “all available resources” had been mobilized to assist the affected communities. Efforts to access the disaster zone have, however, been hampered by adverse weather and limited infrastructure in the mountainous area.
Luca Renda, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, voiced his condolences and confirmed that UN teams and their partners were preparing an emergency response.
“Local sources estimate that between 300 and 1,000 people may have lost their lives,” Renda said, emphasizing the need for swift international intervention.
Search and rescue operations have faced significant hurdles due to ongoing rainfall, unstable terrain, and a shortage of equipment. A local emergency network, active throughout Sudan’s ongoing conflict, reported that only nine bodies had been recovered as of Tuesday, with many more still trapped beneath rubble.
Humanitarian groups fear the death toll could rise further as more information emerges from the isolated region.
Sudan has been grappling with prolonged political instability and armed conflict, leaving its institutions strained and its population vulnerable to both human-made and natural disasters. The Marrah Mountains region, already affected by years of unrest, now faces a humanitarian emergency on an unprecedented scale.