A devastating landslide wiped out a village in Sudan’s western region of Darfur, killing at least 1,000 people in one of the deadliest natural disasters in the African country’s recent history, a rebel group controlling the area said late Monday.
The tragedy happened Sunday in the Tarasin village in Central Darfur’s Marrah Mountains after days of heavy rainfall in late August, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army said in a statement.
“Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand people. Only one person survived,” the statement read.
The village was “completely leveled to the ground,” the group said, appealing to the UN and international aid groups for help to recover the bodies.
Disaster amid war
Darfur's army-aligned governor, Minni Minnawi, called the landslide a "humanitarian tragedy that goes beyond the borders of the region".
"We appeal to international humanitarian organisations to urgently intervene and provide support and assistance at this critical moment, for the tragedy is greater than what our people can bear alone," he said in a statement.
Much of Darfur, including the area where the landslide occurred, remains largely inaccessible to international aid organisations due to ongoing fighting, severely limiting the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance.
The disaster comes as Sudan continues to bear the brunt of a lingering war between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which started in April 2023, killing tens of thousands of people and creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
The country is also grappling with a cholera outbreak since last year, which has killed more than 2,500 people , according to health authorities.
