Landslide destroys Tarsin village in Jebel Marra ^{CEFR B2}

On 31 August a large landslide devastated the western Sudanese village of Tarsin in the Jebel Marra mountains after several days of heavy rain. Sudanese authorities reported they recovered at least 375 bodies from the rubble, including many children, but UN agencies say the death toll is unverified. Search and recovery work has been slowed by rugged terrain and persistent rainfall.

Darfur has long been affected by armed conflict, which forced many people to move into deep valleys and to live in temporary settlements on steep mountain slopes. Environmental and geological researchers say a mix of natural and human factors made the landslide more likely and more deadly: heavy rain saturated the soil and sent rocks and mud down the slopes, while clearing vegetation, building roads without proper engineering and illegal mining weakened soil and rock. Experts note that mining can create artificial seismic activity that further destabilises slopes.

Karem Abdelmohsen of Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability described vegetation as a first line of defence: roots bind soil, leaves reduce the force of raindrops, and roots absorb and slowly release water. Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia's Asir province, invest in revegetation to reduce risk. A 2018 landslide in Tarba also killed at least 19 people and injured dozens, and a 2024 study co-authored by Abdelmohsen predicted increased rainfall across the Nile basin this century, which may raise the frequency of heavy rain events.

Experts recommend relocating villages away from steep gullies, restoring vegetation, planning new settlements with engineering input, and monitoring slopes with geological surveys and early warning devices. Mohamed Al-Nayer of the Sudan Liberation Movement said his group is open to solutions and called on international organisations to cooperate, but he added that the war that caused displacement must stop before proposals can be implemented. A joint UN team, including WHO, arrived in the area on Friday (5 September) to assess the situation; WHO representative Shible Sahbani said access and the rainy season remain major challenges and that the assessment mission will investigate preventative measures.