CAIRO — At least 64 people, including 13 children, were killed in a strike on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur last week, the World Health Organization said Saturday. The attack injured at least 89 people and left the hospital non-functional, WHO head Tedros Ghebreyesus wrote on X.
Sudan descended into widespread violence in April 2023 after a power struggle between the Sudanese military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into full-scale fighting. The RSF has blamed the military for the hospital strike. The army denied responsibility, and two military officials, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the strike targeted a nearby police station.
The conflict has been deadly: U.N. figures put the death toll at more than 40,000, though aid groups say that likely undercounts the true number. The WHO has reported that over 2,000 people have been killed in attacks on medical facilities since the war began.
“Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan,” Ghebreyesus said.
