A horrific landslide reduced the village of Tarasin in the Mara Mountains in West Darfur, Sudan, to rubble on the night of August 31, 2025. More than 1,000 people died in the tragedy, which occurred after heavy rains, while only one person survived. The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) has appealed to the United Nations and international aid agencies for urgent help to recover the bodies of the victims, including men, women and children, from the rubble. The disaster is an unspeakable tragedy amid Sudan’s ongoing civil war crisis and food shortages. Details of the incident According to the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, a landslide caused by continuous rains in the Mara Mountains on the night of August 31 completely destroyed the village of Tarasin. Almost all the village’s residents, who numbered more than 1,000, were buried under the rubble. Darfur's pro-military governor, Mini Manawi, called it a "human tragedy" and said: "This tragedy is beyond our tolerance. We appeal to international organizations for immediate assistance." The affected area is home to refugees displaced from the city of El Fasher in North Darfur. was, where there is a severe shortage of food and medicine. According to initial reports, heavy rains destabilized the slopes of the Mara Mountains, triggering the devastating landslide. “The village has been completely destroyed, and rescue teams are struggling to pull bodies from the rubble,” said SLM/A leader Abdulwahid Mohamed Noor. Aid access to Darfur is limited due to the ongoing civil war, which has made rescue operations even more difficult. Background and Challenges Sudan has been in the grip of a bloody civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, which has plunged the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The city of El Fasher in Darfur is under siege by the RSF, and millions of people have fled to remote areas such as the Mara Mountains. According to the United Nations, more than half of Sudan’s population (about 25 million) is malnourished, and the ongoing conflict has severely affected aid efforts. Experts have warned that extreme weather events such as heavy rains and landslides are increasing in Sudan due to climate change. World The World Food Programme has declared the famine in Darfur a ‘global emergency’. The ongoing war and poor infrastructure for aid agencies are major obstacles to rescue and recovery efforts. Global response Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy on X, saying: ‘We stand with the families of the victims and are ready to provide all possible assistance.’ The United Nations and other aid agencies have launched immediate relief operations, but the war has hampered the delivery of aid. The Sudanese government and rebel groups have appealed to the international community for urgent help so that the bodies of the victims can be recovered and the sole survivor can be rehabilitated. ‘This tragedy has pierced our hearts. The international community must come forward for the victims.’ — Mini Manawi References Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, NDTV, BBC, X Post