At least 64 killed in strike on Sudan hospital, WHO says

At least 64 people, including children and medical staff, were killed when Al Deain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur was struck in an attack verified by the World Health Organization (WHO), the agency’s chief said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the attack on the hospital in the state capital, Al Deain, killed 13 children, two female nurses, and a male doctor, along with other patients. A further 89 people were injured, including eight health workers.

The strike also damaged the hospital’s pediatric, maternity, and emergency departments, rendering the facility non-functional and disrupting critical medical services in the area, WHO said.

The latest incident brings the total number of people killed in attacks on healthcare facilities during Sudan’s war to more than 2,000, according to WHO data. The agency has confirmed 213 such attacks over nearly three years of conflict, resulting in 2,036 deaths and more than 720 injuries.

“Health care should never be a target,” Tedros said in a statement, calling for de-escalation of the conflict and protection of civilians, medical workers, and humanitarian staff.

The United Nations’ humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, condemned the strike, describing it as part of a broader pattern of attacks on medical facilities.

“Another hospital hit. Dozens killed — including children and health workers. This is a pattern,” Fletcher said, adding that international humanitarian law protecting medical care was being ignored. “Civilians must be protected. This war must stop,” he added.

Sudan’s civil infrastructure has been systematically devastated since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. Even before the conflict, the country’s health system was fragile, but the war rapidly pushed it toward collapse. Reports indicate that large portions of critical infrastructure — including hospitals, water systems, and sanitation networks — have been destroyed or rendered non-functional. In conflict-affected regions such as Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan, between 70–80% of health facilities are now barely operational or completely shut down, leaving millions without access to basic services.

Healthcare facilities have been particularly and repeatedly targeted, often in violation of international humanitarian law. The World Health Organization and other monitoring groups have documented attacks on healthcare since the war began, including airstrikes, shelling, and the occupation of hospitals by armed groups. Many facilities have been bombed while patients and medical staff were inside, and some hospitals have been looted or militarized, forcing closures. These attacks have not only caused direct casualties but have also driven health workers to flee, further crippling service delivery.

The cumulative impact on Sudan’s health system has been catastrophic. Studies estimate that around 61% of health facilities have been destroyed, with only a small fraction functioning adequately in major urban centers like Khartoum. Across the country, roughly 80% of hospitals in conflict zones have gone out of service, leaving nearly two-thirds of the population without access to healthcare. The collapse of infrastructure has also disrupted vaccination programs, disease control efforts, and emergency care, reversing years of public health progress.

The recent attack on Al Deain Teaching Hospital highlights the continued targeting of civilian infrastructure within the ongoing conflict. Evidence suggests that such facilities are not only being damaged as a byproduct of fighting but are, in some instances, deliberately struck, reflecting a broader pattern of attacks on critical infrastructure. These developments have significantly worsened an already severe humanitarian situation.

Despite the scale of the emergency, international attention has remained limited, with the crisis receiving comparatively less coverage than other global conflicts. As violence intensifies, at times described by observers as approaching genocidal levels, the lack of sustained global focus, alongside the increasing involvement of regional actors who internationalize the conflict by arming and supporting warring parties, continues to shape both the response and the trajectory of the crisis. This support from regional actors has further complicated prospects for peace and rendered an end to the conflict increasingly uncertain.