UNESCO presses Sudan on disaster and gold mining risks after deadly Darfur landslide

UNESCO’s Sudan Office brought those concerns to a hybrid seminar on 13 October 2026, marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The landslide that struck Tarsin, Darfur, in August 2025 claimed approximately 372 lives and damaged infrastructure and livestock resources across 88 villages. Triggered by intense rainfall, the disaster exposed the vulnerability of communities living near unstable terrain and the urgent need to recognise danger before another slope gives way.

UNESCO's Sudan Office brought those concerns to a hybrid seminar on 13 October 2026, marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. Twenty participants from national institutions and United Nations agencies, including UNICEF, FAO, the National Council for Civil Defence and the Geological Research Authority of Sudan, examined landslide findings and the environmental, health and safety risks of artisanal gold mining.

Mapping dangerous slopes and reaching communities

Opening the seminar, UNESCO Representative to Sudan and Head of Office Junaid Sorosh-Wali recalled the destruction in Tarsin and stressed the importance of prevention, preparedness and building communities' capacity to manage disaster and climate risks.

UNESCO's rapid landslide assessment combined satellite imagery, geospatial analysis, field observations and community awareness activities. Presenting findings across four priority areas, Sciences Programme Head Abdelgadir Salih identified the Red Sea Hills as a particular concern.

Field missions in the Red Sea Hills, findings shared with stakeholders and a proposed action plan for 2025–2027 form part of that response. Awareness work included an early-2026 mission in Khartoum that reached more than 250 people and a documentary explaining landslide hazards.

Dr Adil Awad and Dr Hamad Bashir of the Regional Advisory Center presented further geospatial analysis, focusing on Jebel Marra and the Red Sea Hills. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, they examined how geology, terrain, rainfall, human activities and community exposure combine to threaten settlements, infrastructure and livelihoods.

Their presentation connected scientific findings with practical protection, highlighting warning signs such as ground cracks, leaning trees and changes in unstable slopes. They discussed avoiding construction in high-risk areas, protecting vegetation where appropriate, following official warnings and evacuating when instructed. Public information, local training and closer coordination with Civil Defence were identified as ways to make this knowledge accessible.

Gold mining raises concerns for workers and families

Professor Azhari Omer Abdelbagi of the Sudanese Environment Conservation Society presented evidence on mercury use, unsafe mining practices and waste accumulating near homes and farmland.

Mercury used in gold extraction can contaminate soil, water and air; in aquatic environments, it can become methylmercury, a highly toxic substance that accumulates in the food chain. His presentation also covered mercury vapour, cyanide exposure, other toxic substances and unstable mining structures.

Figures presented at the seminar put the sector's workforce at an estimated two million people across 14 states, with 77 mining markets, more than 44,000 mining wells, 5,668 mills and 5,398 washing basins. Many workers lack adequate protective equipment.

A River Nile State case study examined mining waste, locally called karta, deposited near homes, agricultural land and water sources. It reported elevated mercury levels in some waste and water samples, with mercury also detected in urine samples from children in two affected areas. The findings raised concerns about exposure and prompted calls for further investigation and protective measures.

Abdelbagi called for stronger regulation, safer waste management, expanded awareness campaigns, further health assessments and environmentally responsible mining practices.

Turning findings into coordinated protection

Mohamed Bala, speaking for the Geological Research Authority's Director, outlined its landslide studies, technical assessments and awareness work. He called for international cooperation on hazards linked to climate change, geological processes and human activities.

Gorshi Hussein Abdelgadir Gasim, Assistant to the Secretary-General of the National Council for Civil Defence, referred to reports of 29 deaths from mine collapses. He said the Council was planning a dedicated activity examining gold mining through disaster-risk and regulatory perspectives.

Representing the Sudanese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture's Secretary-General, Ismail Al-Tom called for scientific evidence to be connected with education, public awareness and Indigenous knowledge. He urged authorities to include cultural heritage in emergency planning, recognising the threats disasters pose to cultural assets and traditions.

The closing discussion covered scientific monitoring, safer mining, regulatory oversight, awareness and institutional cooperation. Sorosh-Wali reaffirmed UNESCO's commitment to national partners, stressing coordination with authorities and relevant UN agencies, particularly those working in public health.

He thanked the Government of Japan for its support and confirmed follow-up on the recommendations. For communities facing overlapping environmental, geological and human-induced hazards, the next step is turning these findings into protection they can rely on.