At least 64 people were killed in a strike on Al Deain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the victims from Friday’s attack included 13 children, several medical staff and multiple patients, and that the strike had left the hospital non-functional.
Rights group Emergency Lawyers attributed the attack to a Sudanese army drone strike. Tedros said 89 people were also wounded in the incident.
The WHO chief added that more than 2,000 people have been killed in over 200 attacks on health facilities since the civil war in Sudan began in April 2023. Writing on X, he said: “Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and ensure the protection of civilians, health workers, and humanitarians.” He added, “Health care should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine.”
The war began in April 2023 after a power struggle over integrating the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the Sudanese army. Global aid organizations estimate up to 250,000 people have been killed, as many as 14 million displaced, and about half the population now faces hunger. Aid groups describe the situation as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, marked by mass killings and widespread sexual violence.
The RSF controls large parts of western Sudan, including Darfur, while the army holds territory in the east, centre and north. Sudan’s army has repeatedly attacked El Daein, an RSF-held town where the struck hospital is located.
Edited by: Alex Berry