The Sudan hospital attack in East Darfur killed at least 64 people, including 13 children, according to the head of the World Health Organization. The strike hit Al Deain Teaching Hospital on Friday night and left the facility non-functional.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the dead also included multiple patients, two female nurses and one male doctor. He added that 89 other people were wounded, including eight health workers.
Sudan hospital attack shuts down key facility
The attack damaged the hospital’s pediatric, maternity and emergency departments. As a result, the city lost essential medical services at a time when Sudan’s health system is already under severe strain.
Al Deain Teaching Hospital is in Al Deain, the capital of East Darfur state. There was no immediate information on who carried out the attack.
Tedros said the latest strike pushed the total number of deaths linked to attacks on health facilities in Sudan’s war above 2,000. He said the WHO had confirmed 2,036 deaths in 213 attacks on healthcare since the conflict began nearly three years ago.
War deepens Sudan’s humanitarian crisis
The war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in mid-April 2023. Since then, the conflict has triggered one of the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian crises.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed, while more than 12 million have been forced from their homes. In addition, both sides have faced accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The RSF has also been linked to atrocities in Darfur that United Nations experts say bear the hallmarks of genocide. Therefore, the attack on Al Deain Teaching Hospital adds to growing concern over the toll of the war on civilians and medical services.
Health facilities remain under threat
The destruction at Al Deain Teaching Hospital highlights the continuing danger facing Sudan’s health sector. Hospitals are meant to provide care during conflict. However, repeated attacks have instead turned many facilities into sites of death, fear and disruption.
The latest attack not only killed patients and medical workers. It also cut off care for families, children and pregnant women in a city that now has fewer options for emergency treatment. In that sense, the Sudan hospital attack was both a deadly strike and another blow to a collapsing healthcare system.
