A landslide in Sudan’s Marra Mountains has killed at least 370 people, according to the United Nations. The disaster struck the remote village of Tarseen on Sunday after days of heavy rain.
Antoine Gérard, the UN’s deputy humanitarian co-ordinator for Sudan, said reaching the area remains extremely difficult. Moreover, aid convoys face serious delays. “We do not have helicopters. Everything goes in vehicles on very bumpy roads. It takes time and it is the rainy season. Sometimes we wait hours, even days, to cross valleys. Bringing in trucks with supplies will be a challenge,” he explained.
The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), which controls the region, warned that the death toll could reach 1,000. The group reported that only one person survived and that the landslide “levelled” most of Tarseen. As a result, the SLM/A appealed to the UN and international agencies for urgent assistance.
Darfur’s governor Minni Minnawi, who aligns with the national army, called the event a “humanitarian tragedy.” He urged international groups to provide immediate support, stressing that locals cannot handle the disaster alone. At the same time, the African Union appealed to Sudan’s warring factions to stop fighting and allow aid access.
The civil war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has worsened the crisis. In addition, many families displaced by fighting had sought safety in the Marra Mountains. The SLM/A had stayed neutral in the conflict, though some factions later pledged to fight alongside the army against the RSF.
Pictures from the scene show two mountain gullies converging where Tarseen once stood. Consequently, the destruction highlights the isolation of the area and the scale of the tragedy.
Sudan has faced devastation since the civil war began in April 2023. A US official estimated that up to 150,000 people have died in the conflict. Meanwhile, more than 12 million have fled their homes. Darfur, in particular, faces famine and allegations of genocide. Many accuse the RSF and allied militias of trying to reshape the region into an Arab-dominated territory.
The Sudan landslide in Marra Mountains now adds to the suffering of a nation already in crisis. Therefore, calls for urgent humanitarian action continue to grow louder.
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