Darfur Landslide Disaster: Armed Group Appeals for International Aid as Death Toll Mounts

An armed group controlling part of western Sudan has issued an urgent appeal for international assistance after torrential rains triggered a devastating landslide that buried the mountain village of Tarseen in the Jebel Marra region. The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) said on Tuesday that at least 1,000 people were feared dead, with only one survivor pulled from the rubble.

“Tarseen, famed for its citrus production, has now been completely levelled to the ground,” the group said in a statement, warning that persistent rains have made travel into the remote area nearly impossible and could hinder rescue and recovery efforts.

Bodies Still Unrecovered, Survivors at Risk
The SLM/A, which has long governed an autonomous enclave in Jebel Marra, appealed to the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies to help retrieve the bodies of men, women, and children buried in the landslide. Nine bodies have so far been recovered by local volunteers, according to Abdelhafiz Ali of the Jebel Marra Emergency Room. Many of the victims were displaced families who had sought refuge in the village amid the ongoing conflict.

The UN’s resident coordinator put the provisional death toll at between 300 and 1,000, citing local reports. Arjimand Hussain, regional response manager for Plan International, said the final 45 kilometers to Tarseen are inaccessible to motor vehicles and can only be traversed on foot or by donkey, complicating relief operations.

Warnings of Further Disaster
SLM/A leader Abdelwahid Mohamed Nur urged immediate evacuation plans for surrounding villages, noting that residents fear similar catastrophes if heavy rains continue. “Nearby villagers are overwhelmed with fear that a similar fate might befall them … This underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive evacuation plan and provision of emergency shelter,” Nur said.

Crisis Worsens in War-Torn Sudan
The landslide comes as Sudan remains engulfed in a two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), whose battle for control of al-Fashir, capital of North Darfur, has left the city besieged and famine-stricken. Jebel Marra has served as a refuge for thousands fleeing the conflict, but food, medical supplies, and shelter remain critically scarce.

Humanitarian conditions are deteriorating further as Tawila and other parts of Darfur grapple with a cholera outbreak, compounding the vulnerability of displaced populations already exposed to seasonal flooding. More than half of Sudan’s population now faces crisis levels of hunger, with millions uprooted from their homes.

Condolences and Political Response
Sudan’s army-controlled government expressed condolences and pledged assistance. Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi, prime minister of a newly installed RSF-backed rival administration, also promised to coordinate aid deliveries with the SLM/A.

International messages of solidarity have begun to arrive. Pope Leo extended his condolences in a Vatican statement, offering prayers for the victims and their families.