Landslide in Sudan Kills at Least 1,000 People, 1 Survivor Reported
A mudslide in Central Sudan on Sunday killed an estimated 1,000 people, with only one person surviving, and leveled an entire village. The disaster took place Sunday, August 31, in a village located in Central Darfur's Marrah Mountains, following days of heavy rainfall, Associated Press reported. The village was completely destroyed by the landslide after it was buried under mud and debris.
"Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand people. Only one person survived," the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, a rebel group which controls the region, said in a statement.
The group's leader, Abdel-Wahid Nour, made an appeal on Tuesday to the United Nations and international aid groups for assistance in recovering the bodies.
"The scale and magnitude of the disaster are immense and defy description," he said.
Meanwhile, Luca Renda, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, reported that local sources indicated that "between 300 and 1,000 people may have lost their lives" and that he was "deeply saddened" by the tragedy.
The landslide is considered one of the worst natural disasters in Sudan's history, as hundreds of people die every year in seasonal rains that run from July to October. According to the U.N., heavy rainfall caused the collapse of a dam last year in the eastern Red Sea Province, killing at least 30 people.
Sudan has also faced an ongoing civil war since 2023 between the country's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has resulted in over 40,000 deaths, the displacement of over 14 million people, as well as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with over 30 million people in need of assistance. Additionally, the international hunger experts noted that over 630,000 people live in famine-stricken areas in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
More than 1,000 people are believed to have died in a landslide in Sudan, according to the Sudan Liberation Army.
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) September 2, 2025
The rebel group says only one person survived after the landslide destroyed the village of Tarasin in western Darfur. pic.twitter.com/6yFFabr97p
Prayer for Sudan
Heavenly Father,
Our hearts are broken for what is going on in Sudan, but at the same time, hopeful because we know that You are close to the brokenhearted and rescue those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). We pray for peace for those who have been affected by this tragedy, as well as those who have lost a loved one. Show them that You love them and they received the assistance they needed during this tumultuous time. May Your church be a beacon of light to them, whether local or abroad, in pointing them to Christ as their Lord and Savior.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
When tragedy strikes across the world, it’s easy to feel helpless—but Scripture calls us to weep with those who weep and lift up those in need. How do we respond to suffering that feels so far away yet so deeply human? And what does it look like to be the hands and feet of Christ from a distance? Join the conversation on Crosswalk Forums!
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/EBRAHIM HAMID/Contributor
Originally published September 02, 2025.
