UN to Dispatch an Assessment Team Amid Doubts About Landslide Death Toll

Port Sudan -Sudanhorizon
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced on Tuesday that agencies intend to conduct a joint assessment of the disaster that struck a village in Jebel Marra, amid growing doubts about the accuracy of the casualty figures announced by the Sudan Liberation Movement – Abdul Wahid al-Nur Faction.
The movement’s civilian authority reported on Monday that a landslide at the end of August killed all but one survivor in the village of Tarsain, citing the numbers of those killed, as high as 1000 persons.
The area, located on the border between Central and South Darfur states, experienced a similar landslide during the 2018 rainy season.
OCHA said in a statement that “the inter-sector coordination group discussed, during a meeting, how to support ongoing response efforts in Tarsain village, and the meeting participants decided to conduct an inter-agency assessment the day after tomorrow, Thursday.”
It noted that local sources indicate that the landslide was severe, with search and rescue operations carried out by the local population, who are considered the first responders, among the most urgent needs, in addition to shelter and medical assistance.
It explained that it is coordinating with humanitarian partners that have access to the affected area to assess the situation and respond to the needs of the affected population.
It stated that the team conducting the inter-agency assessment will carry medical supplies, reproductive health needs, food, water, and hygiene materials to support those affected. The affected village can be reached from Nyala, South Darfur, through the Deribat area, and from there to Soni, about 10 kilometers from Tarsain. However, access requires the use of animals due to the rugged mountainous terrain and heavy rains.
OCHA stated that, prior to the disaster, the residents of Tarsain were receiving assistance from Soni, where the World Health Organization supports a health facility. World Vision is also present, providing food, cash assistance, and protection.
It emphasized that humanitarian partners expressed concern that continued rainfall could cause additional natural disasters such as floods and landslides, exacerbating the suffering of communities already highly vulnerable due to the ongoing conflict.
Casualty Numbers Controversy
The office stated that initial reports from the Sudan Liberation Movement indicate catastrophic human losses, but the number of deaths “remains uncertain.”
It added: “Partners explain that it is difficult to assess the full extent of the incident or confirm the exact number of deaths, given the difficulty of accessing the affected area.”
He explained that the joint assessment mission will verify the casualty figures.
On Tuesday, the head of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Abdul Wahid Mohamed Nour, appealed to the United Nations and other organizations to take immediate action to help save the lives of thousands of citizens threatened by the landslide.
He said that the landslide destroyed the village of Tarsain, killing all of its approximately 1,000 residents, with only one survivor.
However, Mohamed Youssef Zakaria, a resident of the affected village, told Sudan Tribune that “the number of victims announced by the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Abdel Wahid Nour, in the incident is not accurate.”
He explained that the landslide occurred on a mountain adjacent to the village, destroying an orchard owned by Mohamed Abdullah Nour.
He indicated that the landslide resulted in the deaths of only two people, Ali Mohamed and his grandson Murtada, and approximately two others were injured.

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