Sudan has recovered 270 bodies following a massive landslide that buried the village of Tarasin in the Jebel Marra range of Darfur, according to leaders from the Abdulwahid al-Nur faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM). The disaster, triggered by heavy rains, nearly wiped out the remote mountain settlement.
How severe is the landslide’s impact?
The United Nations, citing local sources, estimated the death toll could range from 300 to 1,000, though the exact scale remains uncertain due to the area’s inaccessibility. “So far, around 270 bodies have been recovered and buried,” said Mogeeb al-Rahman Mohamed al-Zubeir, head of the civilian authority in SLM-controlled territory. “Hundreds remain trapped under the rubble that swallowed homes and farmland.”
Zubeir described scenes of devastation, including dead livestock buried in thick mud and damaged water resources. “No humanitarian organisation has arrived yet,” he added, noting that only residents and SLM members are handling the rescue efforts with extremely limited resources.
What do eyewitnesses report from the ground?
Footage shared by the SLM showed residents wading through mud, using bare hands to pull bodies from the debris. Initial estimates suggested nearly all of Tarasin’s 1,000 inhabitants may have died, with only one survivor reported. The UN’s migration agency said at least 150 people were displaced from Tarasin and nearby villages.
Pope Leo XIV called for urgent global action, describing the disaster as a “humanitarian catastrophe” marked by “pain and despair.”
Why is Jebel Marra so vulnerable to landslides?
The Jebel Marra region, located southwest of El-Fasher, is rugged volcanic terrain that becomes treacherous during the peak rainy season in August. Sudan’s General Authority for Geological Research has identified it as one of the country’s most geologically active areas, sitting on a tectonic belt stretching across central and western Sudan. Officials warn that recurring landslides here could bring “catastrophic” humanitarian and environmental consequences.
The tragedy unfolds as Sudan remains gripped by war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. Thousands of those displaced had sought safety in SLM-controlled areas, only to face yet another disaster.
By Lucky Anyanje
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