Residents are digging with bare hands and scarce tools to recover hundreds of bodies after a massive landslide swept through the mountain village of Tarsin, prompting urgent calls for UN emergency teams.
The civil administration aligned with the Sudan Liberation Movement–Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW) said all of Tarsin’s roughly 1,000 residents were killed when torrents triggered mudslides on Sunday, August 31. Adam Regal, spokesperson for the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, appealed to aid groups to mount a rapid humanitarian response.
Prime Minister Mohamed Hassan al-Ta’aishi of the Peace Government expressed “deep sorrow,” calling the disaster a reminder of a “collective duty to save lives and ease suffering.” He said he spoke directly with SLM-AW leader Abdel Wahid al-Nur to gauge needs and ordered immediate steps: coordinate safe access for relief teams with SLM-AW; dispatch a comprehensive convoy carrying food, medicines, safe water, tents and shelter materials; and form a joint response committee with national and international organizations to speed assistance.
Separately, the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasis) designated parts of Jebel Marra a natural-disaster emergency zone, pledged to mobilize all government resources for the affected communities, and announced an emergency committee to coordinate assessments, publish initial data and channel aid quickly. Tasis also appealed to regional and international agencies for urgent intervention.
Community leader Adam Mohamed Adam said many bodies remain buried under debris while neighboring villagers attempt rescues with limited equipment. He noted Tarsin had sheltered hundreds of displaced people from Zamzam, Abushok and other areas. Fathi Mohamed Ali, a relative of victims, said he learned via social media on Monday that several family members had died after communications to the area collapsed.
Tarsin lies in the Amoo administrative circle of Central Jebel Marra. Encircled by steep ridges, it is reachable mainly on foot. Residents farm fragile soils during the rainy season; the hamlet includes a mosque, a Quranic school and a small market. Known for oranges, grapefruit and mangoes, most homes are built from local stone.
A similar landslide hit Tarba in eastern Jebel Marra in 2018, leaving hundreds dead and injured.