At least 1,000 individuals are feared to have perished in Sudan due to a devastating landslide that obliterated an entire village. The tragic incident occurred in the community of Tarasin following heavy rainfall in late August. Prolonged downpours led to soil destabilization, causing the collapse of the Marrah Mountains slopes.
On Sunday, families who had sought shelter from the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces met a fatal end as they were crushed to death. Sudan Liberation Movement leader Abdelwahid Mohamed Nour urgently called upon the United Nations and international aid organizations to assist in recovering the victims’ bodies.
Initial reports suggest that more than 1,000 village residents lost their lives, with only one survivor. The village was completely razed to the ground, marking one of Sudan’s most catastrophic natural disasters in recent history. The governor of Darfur labeled the situation a “humanitarian tragedy.”
Footage from the Marrah Mountains news outlet depicted a flattened area amidst mountain ridges, with rescue teams conducting search and rescue operations in the devastated region. This calamity unfolded amid the backdrop of a protracted civil war that has engulfed Sudan since clashes between the military and the Rapid Support Forces erupted into full-scale warfare in April 2023.
The Marrah Mountains, situated 100 miles southwest of el-Fasher, have become a refuge for displaced families escaping conflict in the region. The Sudan Liberation Movement-Army, stationed in the Marrah Mountains, has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has resulted in over 40,000 fatalities, displacement of more than 14 million individuals, and dire food shortages, prompting some families to resort to consuming grass as famine grips parts of the nation. The catastrophic landslide occurred shortly after a massive earthquake in Afghanistan claimed over 800 lives, coinciding with a severe drought and hunger crisis in the country.
A Taliban official in Kunar province highlighted the challenges of reaching remote areas due to flattened villages and closed mountain roads, emphasizing the immediate need to provide aid to the injured.