A devastating landslide struck a village in Sudan’s Marra Mountains on August 31, killing at least 1,000 people and leaving only one survivor, according to a statement released Monday by the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A).
The disaster occurred after days of intense rainfall in the region, which lies in the western part of the country.
The SLM/A, led by Abdelwahid Mohamed Nour, reported that the landslide completely leveled the village, burying homes and families under tons of debris. “The village has now been completely leveled to the ground,” the group said in the statement.
The movement, which controls the affected area located in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region, is urgently appealing to the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations to assist in the recovery of bodies. Victims reportedly include men, women, and children.
The tragedy comes amid an already dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Many of the victims had sought refuge in the Marra Mountains while fleeing the ongoing civil conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The war, now in its second year, has displaced millions and left over half the population facing crisis levels of hunger and limited access to medical care.
The capital of North Darfur state, Al-Fashir, continues to endure heavy fighting, pushing even more civilians to seek shelter in remote and unstable regions like the Marra Mountains, where infrastructure is lacking and emergency response is minimal.