By Emiola Osifeso
Sudan is reeling from a devastating landslide in the remote Marra Mountains that has killed at least 370 people, with fears that the actual death toll could be far higher. The disaster, triggered by days of relentless rainfall, struck on Sunday and wiped out entire communities in western Sudan.
Confirming the scale of the tragedy, the United Nations’ Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Antoine Gérard, said on Tuesday that the full extent of the catastrophe remains uncertain.
He explained: “It is hard to assess the scale of the incident or the exact death toll as the area is very hard to reach. The terrain is mountainous, the rains have not stopped, and the roads are extremely difficult. This is complicating both rescue operations and the delivery of humanitarian aid.”
While the UN confirmed 370 deaths, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), the armed group that controls the region, claimed that casualties may be far higher possibly as many as 1,000 people.
In a statement, the group described the destruction as near-total:
“The landslide has levelled much of the village of Tarseen, leaving only one known survivor. Our people are buried under the rubble, and the community has been wiped out. We urgently appeal to the United Nations, regional partners, and international humanitarian organisations to provide immediate support.”
Delivering aid to the devastated communities has proven an enormous challenge. Gérard stressed the logistical difficulties on the ground:
“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 a day or two, just to cross a valley. Bringing in trucks with commodities and relief materials will be a major challenge.”
The scale of the disaster has drawn appeals for urgent assistance from across Sudan and the region. Darfur’s army-aligned governor, Minni Minnawi, described the situation as overwhelming:
“We appeal to international humanitarian organisations to urgently intervene and provide support and assistance at this critical moment, for the tragedy is greater than what our people can bear alone. This is a humanitarian tragedy of immense proportions.”
At the continental level, the Head of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, called for unity and a pause in Sudan’s ongoing conflict to enable relief efforts.
He said: “We urge Sudan’s warring factions to silence the guns and unite in facilitating the swift and effective delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance to those in need. At a time of such human suffering, there is no place for division.”
The Marra Mountains, already a shelter for thousands of civilians fleeing clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now faces compounded devastation. Since the outbreak of Sudan’s civil war in April 2023, the country has plunged into famine, mass displacement, and ethnic violence, with Darfur often at the epicentre.
International observers warn that the disaster risks worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian situation. A U.S. official last year estimated the war’s death toll at up to 150,000, with around 12 million people displaced from their homes.
Though officially neutral, some SLM/A factions have sided with the Sudanese army against the RSF, reflecting the deeply fractured nature of the conflict. Many in Darfur accuse the RSF and allied militias of waging an ethnic campaign to transform the diverse region into an Arab-dominated domain.
For now, however, the focus remains on the survivors of the landslide, men, women, and children trapped in a humanitarian emergency. Aid groups warn that without immediate assistance, food shortages, disease, and further loss of life could follow.
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