A devastating landslide in Sudan’s remote Marra Mountains has claimed the lives of at least 370 people, according to UN officials, though local groups fear the true number could be far higher.
Triggered by days of relentless rain, the landslide struck on Sunday, flattening the village of Tarseen and leaving just one known survivor. The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), which controls the region, warned that the death toll could reach 1,000, describing the destruction as “total.”
Aid Efforts Face Harsh Terrain
Antoine Gérard, the UN’s deputy humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, confirmed that reaching survivors and delivering supplies is proving extremely difficult.
“We do not have helicopters, everything goes in vehicles on very bumpy roads. It takes time, and it is the rainy season – sometimes we have to wait hours, maybe even days, to cross valleys,” he explained. “Bringing in trucks with emergency supplies will be a huge challenge.”
The SLM/A has appealed for urgent assistance from the UN and international aid agencies. Regional leaders, including Darfur’s governor Minni Minnawi, echoed those calls, describing the disaster as a “humanitarian tragedy beyond what our people can endure alone.”
A Region Already in Crisis
The landslide comes against the backdrop of Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has forced millions from their homes, pushed large parts of the country into famine, and left up to 150,000 people dead, according to U.S. estimates.
Many displaced families had sought refuge in the Marra Mountains, where Sunday’s tragedy unfolded. The SLM/A, which remains largely neutral in the conflict, now finds itself at the center of an escalating humanitarian emergency.
International Calls for Action
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, head of the African Union Commission, urged warring parties to “silence the guns” and allow rapid aid access to those affected.
Photos from the disaster zone show massive gullies carved into the mountainside, converging at the spot where Tarseen once stood. The destruction underscores both the fragility of communities living in Sudan’s conflict zones and the immense difficulties facing aid groups trying to respond.
As rescue efforts continue, the tragedy highlights the compounded suffering of a nation caught between natural disasters and man-made conflict.
-Deeprows News
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