In brief
In the wake of a landslide in Sudan’s western Darfur that has reportedly resulted in hundreds of fatalities, aid workers are using donkeys to reach survivors in the isolated village of Tarasin. Heavy rains and flash floods have compounded the situation, making access nearly impossible by vehicle. Rescuers have begun delivering much-needed supplies, although the exact death toll remains uncertain.
Aid workers on donkeys have delivered the first humanitarian supplies to survivors of a landslide that reportedly killed hundreds of people in a remote mountain village in Sudan's western Darfur region.
Heavy rains and flash floods that hit Tarasin village triggering the disaster on Sunday have continued, meaning donkeys are the only way to reach the affected families.
Families in Tarasin have lost everything. It took our team more than a full day on a rocky, muddy, and hilly route to reach this devastated community, said Francesco Lanino, from aid agency Save the Children.
It remains unclear how many people died. The armed group in charge of the area put the number at 1,000, however, the health ministry says only two bodies have been recovered.
On Thursday, local civilian leaders said they had recovered and buried the bodies of hundreds of people.
We recovered 370 bodies and buried them. Others are still trapped under the rocks and some were carried away by floodwaters, said Ibrahim Suleiman, a local leader.
The footage shared by the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) showed residents and rescuers gathered at a makeshift burial site, praying for the victims laid to rest.
The SLM/A has remained neutral in the civil war that has ravaged Sudan for over two years, with many people escaping to the Marra Mountains area where the landslide occurred.
Antoine Gérard, the UN's deputy humanitarian co-ordinator for Sudan, said assessing the disaster's scale remains challenging due to difficult access. The UN plans to conduct an inter-agency assessment to provide verified figures.
An emergency team of 11 staff riding donkeys delivered medical supplies, food, water, and tarpaulins to the affected communities in a journey that took over six hours, according to Save the Children.
Mobile health clinics and emergency medical teams have also been deployed to provide immediate care on the ground, while UN agencies prepare to send additional supplies to meet urgent needs.
Tarsin is one of the most isolated villages in one of the most remote parts of Sudan. Heavy rains and flash floods have made the response extremely challenging, added Mr. Lanino.
The SLM/A stated that the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Tarasin required urgent international intervention.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to obstruct rescue efforts, with organizations like World Vision indicating the necessity of urgent responses amidst significant loss of life.
Approximately 150 people have been displaced from Tarsin and neighboring villages, sheltering in nearby communities. This latest disaster adds to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where around 30 million people require assistance.
Heavy rains and floods have impacted at least 21 areas across Sudan in recent weeks, creating fears of disease outbreaks as experts predict prolonged wet conditions into September.
