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 Tarsin 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, one of the local leaders in Daramo locality.
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. Local leaders reported that approximately 375 bodies have been located, while others remain trapped beneath the landslide debris.
The SLM/A has remained neutral in the civil war ravaging Sudan for over two years, with many fleeing to the Marra Mountains from the fighting.
Antoine Gérard, the UN's deputy humanitarian co-ordinator for Sudan, provided an estimated death toll of 370, underscoring the challenges in assessing the disaster's full impact due to difficulty accessing the area.
On Thursday, Save the Children's emergency team of 11 staff, riding donkeys, delivered medical supplies, food, water, and tarpaulins, covering the arduous journey in over six hours.
They included medical staff, child protection experts, and a mental health team, addressing the needs of the approximately 1,000 people affected.
Mobile health clinics and emergency medical teams have also been deployed for immediate care, with plans to send additional supplies as needs grow.
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, said Mr. Lanino.
In a statement, the SLM/A emphasized that the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Tarasin calls for urgent international intervention.
The ongoing conflict has severely impeded rescue efforts, according to World Vision. With hundreds of lives lost and communities shattered, we are racing against time to reach the most vulnerable, remarked Simon Mane, the national director for World Vision in Sudan.
About 150 individuals have been displaced from Tarsin and nearby areas, sheltering in the vicinity, as reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
This landslide amplifies an existing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where 30 million people require assistance. Recent heavy rains and flooding have impacted at least 21 areas across the country with fears of disease outbreaks continuing as an unusually wet season persists into September.
