UN mobilizes aid after deadly Sudan landslide

The United Nations has announced emergency assistance following a landslide in Sudan's Darfur region that officials said may have killed hundreds.

The disaster struck Tarasin village in Jebel Marra on Aug 31, after days of torrential rain, according to official reports.

Luca Renda, the United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, said in a statement on Tuesday, that local reports suggest between 300 and 1,000 people may have died.

"The United Nations and our humanitarian partners are mobilizing to provide support to the affected population," he said, adding that aid delivery would be prioritized despite the difficult conditions.

African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also conveyed condolences to bereaved families and called on Sudanese stakeholders to "silence the guns and unite in facilitating the swift and effective delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance".

The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, which controls parts of the Darfur area, reported on Monday in a statement that only one survivor had been found and that the village had been "completely leveled to the ground".

Pictures shared by the organization show two gullies on the side of a mountain that converge at a lower level, where the village of Tarasin had been.

Adam Rijal, a spokesperson for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, said in a statement on Tuesday that the international community must act quickly, and warned the tragedy should "shake the conscience of the entire world".

The disaster happened as Sudan entered its third year of civil war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

sharon@chinadailyafrica.com