Skip to main content
PulseWire News

Tragic Landslide Claims 1,000 Lives in Sudan Amid Ongoing Conflict

A devastating landslide in Sudan's Marra Mountains has resulted in at least 1,000 fatalities, as heavy rains exacerbate existing humanitarian crises in the region.

Source: bbc.co.uk1 min read
Tragic Landslide Claims 1,000 Lives in Sudan Amid Ongoing Conflict
Image via bbc.co.uk

In brief

A landslide in the Marra Mountains of Sudan has led to the death of at least 1,000 individuals, according to reports from the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army. The landslide was triggered by days of heavy rainfall and wiped out much of the village of Tarasin, leaving only one survivor. This disaster adds to the severe humanitarian crises resulting from ongoing conflicts in Sudan, pushing over 800,000 citizens to flee their homes in search of safety.

A landslide has killed at least 1,000 people in the remote Marra Mountains in western Sudan, according to the armed group the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army.

Days of heavy rain triggered the landslide on Sunday, which left just one survivor and levelled much of the village of Tarasin, the group said in a statement.

The movement has appealed for humanitarian assistance from the United Nations and other regional and international organisations.

Many residents from North Darfur state had sought refuge in the Marra Mountains region, after war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forced them from their homes.

Darfur's army-aligned governor, Minni Minnawi, called the landslide a humanitarian tragedy. He urged international humanitarian organisations to urgently provide support and assistance.

Pictures show two gullies on the side of a mountain which converge at a lower level where the village of Tarasin was.

The civil war that broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF has plunged the country into famine and has led to accusations of genocide in the western Darfur region.

Estimates for the death toll from the civil war vary significantly, but a US official last year estimated up to 150,000 people had been killed since hostilities began in 2023. About 12 million have fled their homes.

Factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, which controls the area where the landslide occurred, have pledged to fight alongside the Sudanese military against the RSF. Many Darfuris believe the RSF and allied militias have waged a war aimed at transforming the ethnically mixed region into an Arab-ruled domain.

Topics

More on this story