A landslide has killed at least 370 people in the remote Marra Mountains in western Sudan, a UN official has reported. Antoine Gérard, the UN's deputy humanitarian co-ordinator for Sudan, noted that assessing the exact scale of the disaster is challenging due to the area's inaccessibility.
The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), which controls the affected region, suggested that fatalities could be as high as 1,000. The landslide, triggered by days of heavy rain, occurred on Sunday, devastating the village of Tarseen and leaving just one confirmed survivor.
The SLM/A has urgently requested humanitarian assistance from the United Nations and other organizations, as delivering aid is complicated by poor infrastructure and the rainy season.
Mr. Gérard stated that the operation would involve reliance on vehicles navigating difficult roads, with delays in crossing valleys expected. Most of the affected community had previously sought refuge in the Marra Mountains due to ongoing violence between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Governor Minni Minnawi of North Darfur called the landslide a 'humanitarian tragedy' and stressed the need for immediate support from international agencies. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, head of the African Union Commission, also appealed for an end to hostilities to facilitate humanitarian efforts.
The civil war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023 has compounded the challenges faced in the region, with a significant humanitarian crisis already in effect, affecting millions displaced by conflict.
