More than 1,000 people were killed in a landslide triggered by heavy rains in a village in Sudan’s Central Darfur state, an armed group said.
The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), which controls the area, said in a statement that the entire population of Tarsin village, located in the Marra Mountains, was killed on Aug. 31 after torrential rains caused a landslide.
Only one person survived, the group said, adding that the village’s well-known citrus orchards were destroyed.
The group called on international organizations and the United Nations to help recover bodies buried beneath the debris.
In a statement, Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi described the incident as “a humanitarian tragedy that exceeds the borders of the region,” and appealed to international humanitarian organizations to “intervene urgently to provide support and assistance at this critical moment, as the tragedy is beyond the capacity of our people.”
The Sudanese government said it mourned the victims and pledged to mobilise all available resources to provide relief to those affected.
The SLM/A is a political and military movement active in parts of Darfur, which is largely controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Luca Renda, the acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, said local sources estimate the death toll to be between 300 and 1,000.
“I extend my condolences to the families of the victims and to the people of Sudan,” Renda said in a statement.
He said the United Nations and its humanitarian partners are mobilising to assist survivors, and that efforts are under way to deliver aid to the affected areas as quickly as possible.
Access to Jebel Marra, a mountainous and conflict-prone region, is often limited due to security and logistical challenges.
The disaster comes as Sudan remains engulfed in a war between the army and the RSF, which has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million since April 2023, according to the United Nations and local authorities. However, research from U.S. universities estimates the death toll at around 130,000.