Catastrophic landslide in Sudan claims over 1,000 lives
In western Sudan, a humanitarian tragedy of unprecedented proportions has unfolded in the Darfur region. A massive landslide has struck the Marra mountains, flattening an entire village named Tarasin and causing widespread destruction.
According to the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM), more than 1,000 people have lost their lives in the disaster, with only one survivor reported. The area remains largely inaccessible to international aid organizations due to ongoing fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The landslide occurred after several days of heavy rain, and the SLM has appealed to the UN and other aid organizations for help in recovering the dead still buried under dirt and debris. The disaster has destroyed part of a region known for its citrus production, adding to the woes of a country already grappling with a severe economic crisis.
The war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has been a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The RSF has conquered all but one state capital, El-Fasher, in Darfur, while al-Burhan's forces have regained central Sudan this year, leaving the RSF with control over most of Darfur and parts of southern Kordofan.
Hundreds have been reported killed, and civilians in El-Fasher say the paramilitaries are currently waging their fiercest ever assault on the North Darfur state capital. The war has decimated Sudan's infrastructure and created what the UN describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.
The war has displaced approximately 10 million people within Sudan and an additional 4 million have fled to neighboring nations, according to the UN. Darfur's army-aligned governor, Minni Minnawi, has appealed to international humanitarian organizations for urgent intervention and assistance in the aftermath of the landslide.
So far, no specific humanitarian aid organizations have committed to assistance in the mountainous Tarasin region after the massive landslide. Local villagers have formed rescue teams, and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) is controlling the area and managing civil administration there.
The disaster goes beyond the borders of the region, according to Minnawi, who considers it a humanitarian tragedy that requires immediate international attention and aid. The SLM/A is urging the international community to come together to help Sudan navigate this crisis and provide much-needed relief to the affected communities.
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