- Drone attack on El Fasher’s only functional hospital kills over 70, injures dozens.
- WHO chief condemns attack; calls for end to violence against healthcare facilities.
- Saudi Arabia and UN denounce violations of international law in Sudan.
- RSF and Sudanese military blame each other as clashes intensify.
- Over 28,000 killed, millions displaced since Sudan’s civil war erupted in April 2023.
A drone attack on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital, the only operational hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur, left over 70 dead and 19 injured on Friday, 24 January. The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the toll, calling it an appalling act.
The attack came as Sudan’s civil war intensified, with violent clashes between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese military escalating in recent days. Local officials accused the RSF of targeting the hospital’s emergency department, a claim the RSF denied, alleging instead that Sudanese forces were responsible.
Violence and Humanitarian Crisis Deepen in Sudan
El Fasher has been under RSF siege since May 2024, making this latest attack another blow to a region already crippled by violence. The city, now home to over 1 million people, struggles with severe shortages of food, medicine, and basic necessities.
U.N. humanitarian coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami warned that civilians face ongoing violence and gross human rights abuses. “Their lives now hang in the balance due to an increasingly precarious situation,” she said last Thursday.
The Saudi hospital, located near the city’s airport and front lines of the conflict, continued providing critical services despite repeated shelling. Reports state that doctors performed surgeries under cellphone light during attacks.
Global Condemnation and Calls for Accountability
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as a violation of international law. The WHO urged all sides to cease violence against healthcare facilities and allow swift restoration of damaged services.
Tedros emphasized the urgent need for peace. “The best medicine is peace,” he wrote, urging all parties to end hostilities.
Escalation of Conflict
Sudan’s civil war, which began in April 2023, stems from a power struggle between the RSF and Sudanese military under Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan. Both groups once cooperated in a 2021 coup but later clashed over RSF’s integration into the military.
The conflict has killed over 28,000 people and displaced millions. Ethnic violence, largely attributed to RSF and allied militias, has further exacerbated the crisis. Darfur Governor Mini Minnawi accused RSF of using drones to attack hospitals and civilian areas.
Recent military operations indicate RSF losses, with Sudanese forces reclaiming key territories, including the Khartoum refinery. However, both sides continue to accuse each other of atrocities, prolonging the humanitarian disaster.
Historical Context and Future Outlook
Sudan has faced instability since the 2019 ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir, who faces genocide charges at the International Criminal Court. The RSF, which evolved from al-Bashir’s Janjaweed militias, has been accused of perpetuating similar atrocities.
Efforts at international mediation, including U.S. sanctions and genocide accusations, have failed to halt the fighting. Observers fear that the prolonged conflict could push Sudan into deeper economic collapse and famine.
For El Fasher residents, peace remains a distant hope as they navigate a relentless cycle of violence. The attack on the Saudi hospital underscores the dire need for global intervention and sustained humanitarian aid.
The attack on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital highlights the worsening crisis in Sudan. As civilians bear the brunt of escalating violence, international pressure and peace-building efforts are imperative to ending the suffering. With millions displaced and countless lives at risk, Sudan’s future hinges on achieving lasting stability and justice.