Cairo: Sudan on Tuesday appealed for urgent international aid after a massive landslide leveled the village of Tarasin in Central Darfur’s Marrah Mountains, killing an estimated 1,000 people in what may be one of the deadliest natural disasters in the country’s recent history.
The tragedy struck on Sunday after days of heavy rainfall triggered twin landslides in the remote volcanic mountain range, flattening homes, temples, a bridge, and makeshift camps where pilgrims had gathered. Only one survivor has been reported, according to the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army (SLM-A), which controls the area.
“The scale and magnitude of the disaster are immense and defy description,” said SLM-A leader Abdel-Wahid Nour, appealing to the U.N. and aid agencies for immediate assistance.
Bodies Buried Under Rubble
Local residents said the entire village had been wiped out. “The village and its people disappeared,” said farmer Al-Amin Abdallah Abbas, describing it as “an unprecedented tragedy.” Videos circulated on social media showed a swath of flattened land between mountain ridges as survivors searched for bodies.
Search teams have struggled to reach the site due to rough terrain, bad weather, and a lack of equipment. A local emergency network reported recovering only nine bodies by Tuesday.
The Marrah Mountains, rising over 3,000 metres, are known for heavy rainfall and fragile terrain. While the U.N.’s humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Luca Renda, said between 300 and 1,000 people may have died, Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council in Khartoum confirmed “hundreds of innocent residents” had perished.
A Disaster Amid War
The landslide compounds Sudan’s ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, with the country already devastated by the civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, displaced over 14 million, and left millions facing famine.
Aid agencies warned that Darfur, including the Marrah Mountains, is one of the least accessible regions in the country. Doctors Without Borders has described the area as a “black hole” for humanitarian relief, cut off for more than two years by fighting and restrictions.
The International Organization for Migration called for safe humanitarian access, saying: “The people of Sudan cannot bear this never-ending suffering alone.”
Historic Vulnerability
Sudan is no stranger to seasonal rain-related disasters. Each year, floods kill hundreds and destroy infrastructure. In 2023, rains caused the collapse of a dam in Red Sea Province, killing at least 30 people. But Sunday’s landslide, which wiped out nearly an entire community, stands out as one of the worst in living memory.
The U.N. warned the death toll could rise as access improves. Meanwhile, Sudan’s government said it has mobilized “all possible capabilities” to respond, though local officials admit resources are stretched thin as fighting with the RSF rages on.
