The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM) reported on 1/9 that a "massive and devastating" landslide the previous day had flattened the village of Tarasin in the Marra Mountains in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

The landslide, which followed days of heavy rain, "completely destroyed" a section of the region known for its citrus groves.

"Initial reports indicate that the entire village, estimated at over 1,000 people, has perished, with only one survivor," said the SLM, the rebel group that controls the area.

The landslide site in a photo posted on 2/9. Photo: SLM

The armed group appealed to the United Nations and international aid organizations to help recover the bodies trapped under the mud and debris.

Minni Minnawi, the military-aligned governor of Darfur, called the landslide a "humanitarian tragedy that transcends regional boundaries".

"We appeal to international humanitarian organizations to urgently intervene and provide support at this critical time, as the tragedy exceeds what our people can bear," he said.

International aid organizations currently have little access to much of Darfur, including the area affected by the landslide, due to the ongoing conflict. This will make delivering emergency humanitarian aid difficult.

Civil war has raged in Sudan since 4/2023 due to a power struggle between army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Burhan's former deputy.

The SLM has largely stayed out of the fighting, but it still controls some areas in Sudan's highest mountain range.

Location of the Marra Mountains. Graphics: CNN

After a series of offensives, Burhan's forces have regained central Sudan this year. The RSF now holds most of Darfur, except for the state capital El-Fasher, and part of Kordofan in the south.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, including 4 million in the capital Khartoum alone.

Pham Giang (According to AFP)