At least 64 people were killed and 89 others wounded after a strike hit El-Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, as Arabic sources and local monitors attributed the attack to General al-Burhan’s Forces (SAF).
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Friday strike killed 13 children, two female nurses, one doctor, and multiple patients, describing the incident as part of a growing pattern of deadly attacks on healthcare in Sudan’s war.
The hospital, a critical medical facility in RSF-controlled El-Daein, was rendered non-functional after sustaining heavy damage to its maternity, paediatric and emergency departments.
“Enough blood has been spilled,” Tedros said, calling for an end to the conflict. “Health care should never be a target.”
Arabic reports point to SAF responsibility
Sudanese outlets including Darfur24 reported that SAF warplanes carried out the strike, firing missiles directly at the hospital during air raids on the city.
Medics cited by regional media said aircraft circled over El-Daein before launching the strike, which hit the hospital compound and caused mass casualties among patients and staff.
The Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers also attributed the attack to a SAF drone strike, reinforcing a growing body of reporting pointing to SAF responsibility.
The WHO, which verifies attacks on healthcare facilities, confirmed the toll and destruction but does not assign blame.
The SAF denied targeting civilian infrastructure, stating it adheres to international law, while accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of using civilian sites for military purposes.
Healthcare system under collapse
The United Nations said it was “appalled” by the strike, warning that attacks on hospitals have become a defining feature of the conflict.
According to WHO data, more than 2,000 people have been killed in over 200 verified attacks on healthcare facilities since the war erupted in April 2023.
The scale of violence has escalated sharply, with 2025 alone accounting for the vast majority of global deaths linked to attacks on healthcare.
“Beyond the devastating human toll, these attacks are dismantling already fragile health systems,” Tedros said.
The WHO said it is working with local partners to redirect patients and scale up services at other facilities, while deploying trauma supplies and essential medicines.
Escalating drone warfare
The strike comes amid a surge in drone and air attacks across Sudan, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan, where civilians have increasingly borne the brunt of the fighting.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk recently warned that more than 200 civilians were killed in drone strikes within an eight-day period earlier this month, highlighting the intensifying use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
War with no end in sight
The conflict between SAF and RSF has killed tens of thousands, displaced more than 11 million people, and pushed over 33 million into urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
Tedros renewed calls for de-escalation and civilian protection.
“The time has come to ensure the protection of civilians, health workers, and humanitarian personnel,” he said.
“Peace is the best medicine.”