UN: Number of Tarsain landslides Victims has Yet to be Verified

New York – Sudanhorizon
UN Secretary General’s spokesman Stéphane Dujarric has said that humanitarian workers are coordinating response to the devastating landslide that struck the village of Tarsain in Darfur region last Sunday, following days of heavy rains.
In his daily press conference on Thursday, he said that the death toll has not yet been verified, as the ongoing heavy rains and rugged terrain make it extremely difficult to reach the affected communities.
The International Organization for Migration quoted an estimated 150 people as having been displaced from Tarsain and neighboring villages, with families now seeking refuge in neighboring communities.
He reported that while the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UN partners are finalizing an inter-agency emergency response and assessment mission, teams comprising approximately 12 local and international NGOs and UN agencies have already traveled to the site. Due to the difficult roads, the teams traveled part of the journey on donkeys. Dujarric added that the teams’ mission focused on verifying the number of affected people, as well as assessing and responding to urgent needs. They carried essential supplies for up to 750 people, including medical kits, nutritional support, food rations, non-food items, and other essential supplies.
Preparing to Send More
The UN spokesperson said that mobile health clinics and emergency medical teams have been deployed to provide immediate care on the ground. He added that the response is targeting survivors in Tarsain and neighboring villages affected by the disaster.
The results of the assessment will guide the process of scaling up assistance as UN agencies prepare to send more supplies to meet additional needs.
He explained that the response efforts were coordinated with partners prepared in Golo, Central Darfur, and Tawila, North Darfur. He added that local communities were the first responders and remained central to any assistance efforts, while humanitarian partners worked to complete their work and provide life-saving assistance.
Violence and Flooding in El Fasher
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that the situation in El Fasher, North Darfur, is deteriorating amid escalating violence and flooding. Local sources reported that heavy artillery fire had killed dozens of civilians in recent days.
He added that humanitarian access remains hampered, while women and girls face grave protection risks, including sexual violence.
He warned that the crisis in the region is being exacerbated by heavy rains and flooding, which displaced 350 people in the town of Korma last Monday, destroying latrines at a displacement site.
OCHA reported that in recent days, flooding in Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps has affected 4,300 IDPs, destroyed 900 tents, and damaged 2,300 homes, according to local partners.
Cholera outbreak continues
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the cholera outbreak continues, with nearly 8,000 cases recorded in North Darfur and more than 3,800 in South Darfur since last May. He added that the outbreak has been exacerbated by acute malnutrition, which has doubled in North Darfur over the past year, leaving children particularly vulnerable.
OCHA confirmed that it, along with UN partners are supporting the response to the outbreak by providing clean water and health services and implementing cholera vaccination campaigns, despite logistical challenges.

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