The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday that a landslide that struck Tarsin village in Sudan’s Jebel Marra region on Sunday reportedly claimed up to 1,000 lives, based on information from local sources. The disaster unfolded around 1 pm on the border of Central and South Darfur states after days of relentless rainfall in the Sharg Aj Jabal locality.
The situation remains fluid. Sporadic flooding and poor road conditions have cut off internet connectivity, further delaying assessments of the situation.
OCHA stated that updated casualty figures and detailed assessments will be released as field teams gain better access to the affected area. An interagency assessment will be conducted in the coming days to provide verified statistics.
According to local sources, the landslide has had a severe impact. The most urgent needs are search and rescue, which are currently being carried out by local residents,, who are the first responders. Shelter and medical assistance are also urgently needed.
Humanitarian agencies are concerned that the ongoing rainy season could trigger additional natural disasters, such as floods and landslides, which would further exacerbate the suffering of communities already highly vulnerable due to the ongoing conflict.
Jebel Marra, one of Sudan’s most remote and inaccessible regions, is hosting people displaced by the ongoing war in other parts of the country, including those who fled North Darfur State. The conflict in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, has displaced millions and left them in urgent need of assistance.
The village lies in a rugged, hard-to-reach area that was already devastated by a landslide during the 2018 rainy season. Heavy rain triggered the collapse and is hampering rescue and relief operations. Vehicles can reach Tarsin only via narrow mountain roads from Nyala to Deribat-Soni, and many paths are currently accessible only by donkey.
Initial figures from the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A-AW), which controls the region, suggest a death toll close to 1,000. However, humanitarian agencies operating on the ground report significantly lower numbers and caution that the true figure may be difficult to verify until access improves.
OCHA is coordinating with international agencies and local partners to assess needs and deploy assistance. Luca Renda, the acting Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, expressed condolences and affirmed that the UN is swiftly mobilizing to support the affected population.
“Local sources indicate that between 300 and 1,000 people may have lost their lives,” Renda said in a statement.
“The humanitarian community stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan and will spare no effort to ensure that aid can reach those in need without delay.”
At a humanitarian coordination meeting held on Tuesday, the incident was reviewed and strategies were outlined to support ongoing response efforts. Participants agreed to conduct an interagency assessment of the area on Thursday.
As part of the initial response, the evaluation team will deliver essential supplies, including medical and reproductive health supplies, food, water, and sanitation and hygiene supplies, to the affected population.
The Government of Sudan and SLM/A-AW have both issued statements urging immediate humanitarian assistance and emphasizing the need for unhindered access to the region. Heavy rains continue to threaten rescue operations and the broader humanitarian delivery chain.
OCHA said it is working with all relevant actors to secure necessary permissions and remove administrative hurdles that could delay aid delivery. Aid agencies are calling on the international community to quickly provide Tarsin village and surrounding communities with resources, including food, water, shelter, and medical supplies.
Worsening humanitarian crisis in El Fasher
According to an update from the UN humanitarian office also released today, it remains gravely concerned by the worsening humanitarian crisis in El Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur. Over the past three weeks, the United Nations has documented at least 130 civilian fatalities in the region, including summary executions, though the actual death toll is likely higher.
El Fasher has been under siege for more than 500 days, with hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in the area. Cut off from humanitarian aid and protection, the civilians face starvation as a weapon of war daily, as well as indiscriminate bombardment, which has led to deaths, injuries and sexual violence.
Continued shelling has reportedly killed more civilians and wounded dozens in recent days, including repeated deadly incursions into the Abu Shouk displacement camp, where famine has been declared. The absence of a safe passageway for those wishing to flee the violence continues to trap civilians inside the besieged city.
According to OCHA, recent satellite imagery shows more than 30 kilometers of earthen walls surrounding the city, further restricting the movement of civilians.
Since April 2023, more than 600,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and its surrounding displacement camps. With food stocks depleted, families are now surviving on animal feed and tree leaves.
Although aid supplies are pre-positioned nearby, efforts by humanitarian agencies to move them into El Fasher have been hindered. Over recent months, there have been repeated attacks on aid workers and humanitarian assets in North Darfur.
On Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in and around El Fasher. He stressed that civilians must be protected, safe passage must be guaranteed, and humanitarian access must be enabled without delay.
Sudan’s unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe
Since April 15, 2023, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been engaged in a devastating war that has caused an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Currently, over 30 million people require urgent relief, making this the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
This conflict is being waged with shocking levels of violence and brutality against civilians, especially in Darfur. The RSF, in particular, has been accused of mass killings and rape as a means of warfare. Both parties have been accused of serious war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Thousands have been targeted based on their ethnicity, resulting in death, injury, abuse, and exploitation, forcing more and more people to flee the violence.
Consequently, Sudan is grappling with the world's largest and most severe displacement crisis. Since the war began, more than 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Over 4 million of those displaced have crossed into neighboring countries, including Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
As of today, the UN and other aid agencies have received only 25 percent of the US$4.2 billion needed to provide lifesaving aid to nearly 21 million of the most vulnerable people in Sudan.
Further information
Full text: SUDAN: Landslide in Sharg Aj Jabal, South Darfur State, Flash Update #1, as of 2 September 2025, OCHA report, released September 2, 2025
https://reliefweb.int/attachments/c1fd975c-a100-4a9f-886c-7abf27c9de68/SDN%20250902_Landslide%20in%20Jebel%20Marra_South%20Darfur%20State_Flash%20Update%20%231_FINAL.pdf