A massive landslide in Sudan’s Central Darfur has wiped out the entire village of Tarasin in the Marrah Mountains, killing more than 1,000 people in what is being described as one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in decades. The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), which controls the area, disclosed that only one person survived the catastrophe after several days of heavy rainfall triggered the collapse, AP News detailed.
The once-thriving agricultural community, known for citrus farming, has been left completely flattened. SLM/A has appealed for urgent assistance from the United Nations and international relief agencies to recover bodies and provide humanitarian support, The Times highlighted.
Access to the disaster site has been severely hampered by Sudan’s ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leaving aid organizations struggling to respond, Euronews reported.
Darfur’s governor, Minni Minnawi, described the landslide as “a humanitarian tragedy that transcends the borders of the region,” urging swift global intervention to prevent further suffering. Observers stress that the disaster adds to Sudan’s already dire humanitarian crisis, compounding displacement and food insecurity across the country, The Times noted.