SLM-AW leader Abdel Wahid Mohamed al-Nur warned on Tuesday that villages near Tarsin face an imminent risk of landslides similar to the catastrophe that wiped out the mountain hamlet over the weekend. He called for an immediate, orderly evacuation of residents in high-risk zones and the rapid provision of temporary housing.
Al-Nur urged regional and international organizations to mobilize without delay to help save thousands of people living under the threat of fresh slope failures. He said evacuation planning should prioritize the elderly, children, and the wounded, and include clear routes, temporary shelters, and safe water points.
The appeal follows Sunday’s mudslides in Tarsin, triggered by torrential rains, which local authorities say killed roughly 1,000 people. Community leaders report that many bodies remain under debris and that communications with outlying hamlets are intermittent or down, complicating rescue and assessment efforts. Tarsin had also been hosting hundreds of displaced families from Zamzam, Abushok, and other parts of Darfur.
Much of central Jebel Marra is a steep, hard-to-reach volcanic massif where homes are often built from stone along narrow terraces and seasonal streams. Heavy rains can rapidly saturate fragile soils, sending rocks and earth cascading through settlements in minutes. In 2018, a major landslide struck Tarba in eastern Jebel Marra, killing and injuring hundreds—an event locals now cite as precedent for wider dangers if rainstorms continue.
Local volunteers say washed-out tracks and the area’s topography are slowing the movement of relief to the worst-hit sites. Heavy machinery, body-recovery kits, medical supplies, clean water, food, tents, and trauma support are among the most urgent needs identified by residents and community leaders. Aid workers stress that safe corridors and coordinated movement are essential to avoid bottlenecks on the few passable paths into the mountains.
In the wake of the disaster, the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasis) designated parts of Jebel Marra a natural-disaster emergency zone and announced an emergency committee to share initial data and channel aid quickly. Prime Minister Mohamed Hassan al-Ta’aishi expressed condolences, said he had spoken directly with al-Nur to assess needs, and ordered a relief convoy with food, medicines, safe drinking water, tents, and shelter materials. He also called for a joint response mechanism with national and international partners to coordinate assessments and speed assistance.
Community elders and SLM-AW officials are urging a practical, near-term evacuation plan for the most exposed hamlets, paired with basic mapping of high-risk slopes, early-warning measures during storms, and clear communication lines with villages that can only be reached on foot.
With the rainy season ongoing in Jebel Marra, responders say time is limited to stabilize slopes, relocate families from the most dangerous areas, and prevent a repeat of Tarsin in neighboring villages.
