WHO Condemns Hospital Attack in Sudan That Killed Over 70

DARFUR – The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called for an end to attacks on healthcare workers and facilities in Sudan following a devastating drone strike on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur. The attack, carried out on Friday, killed more than 70 people and injured dozens.

The hospital, the only functioning health facility in El Fasher, provides critical services, including obstetrics, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and nutritional care.

“We continue to call for a cessation of all attacks on health care in Sudan and to allow full access for the swift restoration of the facilities that have been damaged,” Tedros said on X (formerly Twitter).

Conflict Escalation in Sudan

The strike comes amid the ongoing war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in April 2023 over disputes regarding the integration of the two forces. The conflict has caused tens of thousands of deaths, displaced millions, and left half of Sudan’s population facing hunger.

Darfur Governor Mini Minnawi confirmed on X that the RSF was responsible for the drone attack on the hospital’s emergency department, which killed patients, including women and children.

Rising Violence in El Fasher

El Fasher has witnessed intense clashes between the RSF and Sudanese joint forces, comprising the army, armed resistance groups, police, and local defense units. The violence in Darfur has been marked by ethnically driven atrocities, exacerbating the region’s humanitarian crisis.

The WHO continues to advocate for the protection of health care facilities and workers, emphasizing their critical role in addressing the needs of war-affected populations.