A devastating attack on a hospital in eastern Sudan has left at least 64 people dead, including children and medical staff, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), intensifying international alarm over the escalating conflict in the country.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the strike targeted El-Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur’s capital on Friday. Among the victims were 13 children, two female nurses, one male doctor, and numerous patients receiving treatment at the facility.

The attack also wounded at least 89 people, including eight healthcare workers, and caused severe damage to critical departments such as pediatrics, maternity, and emergency care. As a result, the hospital has been rendered completely non-functional, leading to what the WHO described as a “critical interruption of essential medical services.”

“Enough blood has been spilled,” Tedros said in a statement, urging an immediate end to the nearly three-year war that has devastated Sudan. “Health care should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine.”

Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers reported that the strike was carried out by a drone operated by the Sudanese army. However, the Sudan Armed Forces, in a statement published by the state news agency SUNA, denied responsibility and instead accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of routinely targeting civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities.

The RSF currently controls much of the Darfur region, including El-Daein, while the national army maintains control over the eastern, central, and northern parts of the country. The city has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks as fighting intensifies between the rival factions.

The WHO’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA) has documented a sharp rise in deadly assaults on medical facilities since the conflict began in April 2023. The latest figures indicate that at least 2,036 people have been killed in 213 verified attacks on healthcare services across Sudan.

The trend has worsened significantly over time. In 2023, 64 such attacks resulted in 38 deaths, while 2024 saw 72 attacks causing 200 fatalities. In 2025 alone, 65 attacks have already claimed 1,620 lives—accounting for the vast majority of global deaths linked to assaults on healthcare.

The WHO emphasized that these attacks not only result in immediate casualties but also cripple already fragile health systems, depriving millions of access to both emergency and routine medical care.

The broader conflict in Sudan has created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. According to the United Nations, the war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million others. Over 33 million people now require humanitarian assistance, amid widespread hunger and collapsing public services.

The UN’s humanitarian office described the hospital strike as “appalling,” echoing growing international condemnation of the repeated targeting of civilian infrastructure.

Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk recently warned of the increasing use of advanced drones in populated areas, noting that more than 200 civilians were reported killed in drone attacks within just eight days earlier this month.

As violence continues to escalate, global health and humanitarian officials are renewing calls for an urgent ceasefire and the protection of civilians and medical personnel.

“The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan,” Tedros said. “Enough suffering has been inflicted.”

The WHO added that it is working with local partners to expand capacity at remaining health facilities, dispatch emergency medical supplies, and support trauma care efforts in the wake of the attack.

However, with healthcare infrastructure increasingly under siege, aid agencies warn that Sudan’s already dire humanitarian situation could deteriorate even further unless immediate action is taken to halt the violence. (ILKHA)