Residents in Jebel Marra are struggling with limited tools to retrieve hundreds of bodies after a massive landslide swept through Tarsin village, prompting calls for UN emergency teams to help contain the disaster.
The civil administration aligned with the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Mohamed al-Nur (SLM-AW) said all of Tarsin’s roughly 1,000 inhabitants died when mudslides triggered by torrential rains hit the area on Sunday, August 31. Adam Regal, spokesperson for the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, urged local and international organizations to mount a rapid humanitarian response.
TASIS response
Prime Minister of the Peace Government Mohamed Hassan al-Ta’aishi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, calling it a reminder of the collective duty to save lives and ease suffering. He said he spoke directly with SLM-AW leader Abdel Wahid al-Nur to assess the scale of the disaster and urgent needs, and ordered immediate steps: engage SLM-AW to coordinate safe access for aid; dispatch a comprehensive relief convoy carrying food, medicines, safe drinking water, tents and shelter materials; and work with national and international organizations to form a joint response committee to speed assistance to those affected.
Separately, the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasis) declared parts of Jebel Marra a natural-disaster emergency zone, pledged to mobilize all Peace Government resources for affected communities, and announced a government emergency committee to coordinate assessments, share initial data and channel aid rapidly. Tasis also appealed to regional and international humanitarian agencies for urgent intervention.
Community leader Adam Mohamed Adam said many bodies remain trapped under debris while neighboring villagers try to assist rescue efforts despite scarce equipment. He noted that Tarsin had been hosting hundreds of displaced people from Zamzam, Abushok and other parts of Sudan.
Fathi Mohamed Ali, a relative of victims, said he learned on Monday—via social media—of the deaths of his family members after communications to the area went down.
Tarsin lies in the Amoo administrative circle of Central Jebel Marra. The mountain hamlet is encircled by steep ridges and is difficult to reach except by climbing. Its residents farm fragile soils during the rainy season and the village includes a mosque, a Quranic school and a small market. Known for oranges, grapefruit and mangoes, homes there are built from local stone.
A similar landslide struck Tarba in eastern Jebel Marra in 2018, leaving hundreds dead and injured.
