In East Darfur’s capital, Al Deain, the Teaching Hospital was struck late Friday, marking a severe escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that began in April 2023. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported 70 fatalities, including seven women, 13 children, and three health workers, with 146 people injured, encompassing patients and accompanying family members. The attack has forced the hospital to close, leaving over two million people in the city and surrounding localities with limited access to specialized care, requiring travel of over 160 kilometers to the next referral facility.
Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, urging the warring parties to de-escalate fighting and return to negotiations for a lasting ceasefire and inclusive political process. Attacks on healthcare have been a recurring feature of the conflict, with WHO reporting over 2,000 fatalities linked to assaults on health facilities, ambulances, staff, and patients since the conflict began. Both parties extensively use drones, and the UN Human Rights Office highlighted a surge in drone strikes this year, causing over 500 civilian deaths from January to mid-March, including cross-border strikes in Chad, raising concerns about violations of international humanitarian law and potential war crimes.
UN officials stressed the urgent need to halt the use of drones in populated areas and to stop arms transfers fueling the conflict, warning that continued attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure carry serious regional consequences and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
