Darfur: Desperate rescue efforts are underway in Sudan’s Central Darfur region after a series of devastating landslides buried entire villages in the Marrah Mountains, killing hundreds and leaving survivors to dig through the mud with their bare hands in search of loved ones.

The disaster struck the remote village of Tarasin on August 31 following torrential rains, triggering at least three successive landslides. One of the later slides reportedly engulfed rescuers who had rushed to aid survivors of the initial collapse. Authorities and aid groups have confirmed the recovery of at least 373 bodies, many of them children. However, estimates suggest the true death toll could be as high as 1,000, given the scale of destruction and the isolation of the affected area.

Rescue operations remain perilous and slow. With no access to heavy machinery, survivors and volunteers have been clawing through thick mud by hand. Roads to the village were cut off, forcing humanitarian workers from Save the Children to travel more than 22 kilometers on donkeys to reach the site, a journey that took over six hours through treacherous terrain.

Survivors are few. In the worst-hit village, only one person was found alive. Across five nearby settlements, around 150 survivors have been identified, including about 40 children. Thousands of livestock were lost, and farmland critical to the local economy has been wiped out, threatening long-term food security in an area already reeling from civil conflict.

Save the Children has set up a mobile health clinic to treat the injured and provide psychosocial support, while distributing medicines and essential supplies. Aid workers warn of the imminent risk of cholera as floodwaters have contaminated drinking sources, compounding the humanitarian emergency.

The tragedy comes amid Sudan’s ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which has displaced millions and severely restricted humanitarian access. With infrastructure destroyed and communications down, reliable casualty figures are difficult to confirm.

Local leaders and aid organizations have urgently appealed for international assistance, warning that the scale of the disaster far exceeds local capacity to respond. Without immediate intervention, survivors face the twin threats of disease and starvation, even as they continue to dig bare-handed for those still missing beneath the mud.