An armed movement controlling parts of western Sudan has issued an urgent plea for international assistance after a devastating landslide buried the mountain village of Tarseen in the Darfur region. The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) said that at least 1,000 people may have perished in the disaster, with only a single survivor found amid the destruction.
According to the group, torrential rainfall triggered the landslide, wiping out the once-thriving agricultural community known for its citrus production. “Tarseen, famed for its citrus production, has now been completely levelled to the ground,” the SLM/A stated, noting that men, women, and children were buried under tons of mud and rock. The group appealed to the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to urgently provide aid, recover bodies, and assist in evacuating nearby residents who remain at risk.
In a separate statement, SLM/A leader Abdelwahid Mohamed Nur described the growing fear among surrounding villages, saying: “Nearby villagers are overwhelmed with fear that a similar fate might befall them if the … torrential rainfall persists, which underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive evacuation plan and provision of emergency shelter.”
The United Nations confirmed the catastrophic scale of the disaster, though casualty figures remain uncertain. A statement from the UN’s resident coordinator estimated the death toll at between 300 and 1,000, citing reports from local responders. Aid groups are struggling to access the area due to treacherous terrain. Arjimand Hussain, regional response manager for Plan International, explained that the last 45 kilometers to Tarseen were completely inaccessible to vehicles, leaving foot travel and donkeys as the only means of entry.
Volunteers have so far recovered only nine bodies, according to Abdelhafiz Ali of the Jebel Marra Emergency Room. He added that the tragedy was made worse by the fact that Tarseen had been hosting hundreds of displaced families fleeing the ongoing civil conflict in Sudan.
The disaster compounds an already dire humanitarian situation. The two-year war between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has forced millions from their homes and left more than half of the population facing crisis levels of food insecurity. El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, remains under siege by RSF forces, and famine has already set in across parts of the region. With many residents fleeing to the Jebel Marra mountains, food, medical care, and shelter are dangerously inadequate. Outbreaks of cholera have also been reported in Tawila and other towns struggling to cope with displaced populations.
Though the SLM/A has maintained neutrality in the conflict between the army and the RSF, both sides have acknowledged the disaster. Sudan’s army-backed government expressed condolences and offered to assist with relief efforts. Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi, prime minister of the rival RSF-aligned government, also pledged to coordinate with the SLM/A to deliver aid supplies to affected communities.
Expressions of solidarity have come from abroad as well. Pope Leo extended condolences and offered prayers for the victims, with the Vatican confirming the pontiff’s deep concern for those impacted.
As rains continue across Darfur, fears of further landslides and flooding remain high. Humanitarian organizations warn that without immediate large-scale intervention, the crisis in Jebel Marra could worsen rapidly, leaving tens of thousands more exposed to hunger, disease, and further natural disasters.
