Massive landslide in Sudan kills 1,000, says rebel group
A massive landslide has wiped out an entire village in Sudan’s western Darfur region, killing an estimated 1,000 people, according to a statement from the Sudan Liberation Movement, which controls the area.
The disaster struck the Marra Mountains on Sunday after several days of torrential rainfall, the rebel group said late Monday.
“All the residents of Tarsin village, estimated to be more than a thousand people, died yesterday, Sunday, and only one person survived, according to preliminary information,” the civilian authority said.
The worst-hit Tarsin area, known as one of Jebel Marra’s key citrus-producing regions, was completely devastated.
Rebel leaders appealed to the United Nations and other international organisations to help recover bodies trapped under the rubble.
The SLM/A appealed to the United Nations and international aid organisations for urgent assistance in recovering bodies and supporting survivors, warning of dire conditions as the region reels from Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
However, the arrival of aid teams would require clearance from the Sudanese government and permits from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who control much of western Darfur, including six of the eight localities in Central Darfur State.
The tragedy comes amid escalating fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The strategic city of El-Fasher, the last major stronghold of the army in Darfur, has been under RSF siege for more than a year.
Thousands fleeing clashes in North Darfur had sought shelter in the Marra Mountains, where food and medicine are already scarce.
Sudan’s conflict, now in its third year, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with famine already declared in parts of Darfur. Factions of the SLM/A have aligned with the Sudanese military against the RSF, which is attempting to consolidate control in Darfur after losing much of central Sudan, including Khartoum, earlier this year.
Fighting in Darfur has sharply intensified in recent months, particularly around El-Fasher, as the RSF seeks to capture the strategic city and establish a rival government in western Sudan.
