At Least 13 Children Among 64 Dead in Sudan Tragedy

At least 64 people, including 13 children, lost their lives in a devastating assault on a hospital in Sudan, according to the World Health Organization on Saturday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the attack on Friday targeted el-Daein Teaching Hospital, the capital of East Darfur. He called for an end to the nearly three-year conflict plaguing Sudan, asserting that “enough blood has been spilled.”

The assault claimed the lives of at least 64 individuals, among them 13 children, two female nurses, one male doctor, and several patients, Tedros shared on X.

A military drone strike was reported to have hit the hospital, noted Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers.

In Sudan’s power struggle, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces control Darfur, while the national army holds sway over the east, center, and north.

Tedros reported that eight healthcare workers were among those injured, and the hospital’s pediatric, maternity, and emergency departments suffered significant damage, rendering it non-operational and causing a severe disruption of essential medical services.

To address these urgent needs, the WHO is collaborating with local health partners to increase capacity at other health facilities, deploy trauma care supplies, and provide essential medications.

‘Devastating human toll’

The RSF-controlled city of el-Daein has been frequently targeted by the Sudanese army in its efforts to drive the paramilitaries back towards Darfur and away from Sudan’s central region.

A previous strike on the city’s market earlier this month ignited oil barrels that burned for hours.

In a statement via the official news agency SUNA, the Sudan Armed Forces stated its compliance with international norms and laws, accusing the Rapid Support Forces of making regular attacks on service and health facilities.

While the WHO’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care tracks these incidents, it does not assign blame as it isn’t an investigative body.

The United Nations’ humanitarian office in Sudan expressed shock over this latest act of violence.

Despite ongoing UN condemnations, hospitals continue to be prime targets since the war’s onset in April 2023.

This recent tragedy pushes the toll of killed in healthcare-related attacks past 2,000.

According to WHO’s SSA, 2,036 individuals have perished in 213 such assaults.

“Beyond the immense human cost, these attacks severely affect communities needing urgent and routine medical care,” said Tedros. “Healthcare should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine.”

The WHO’s statistics illustrate the increasing lethality of these attacks. In 2023, 64 incidents resulted in 38 deaths, escalating to 72 attacks causing 200 deaths the following year. By 2025, 65 attacks led to 1,620 fatalities, making up 82% of reported deaths in healthcare attacks worldwide.

‘Enough suffering’

Friday’s strike, involving heavy weaponry, impacted not only the hospital but also its staff, patients, and resources, WHO’s SSA stated.

With daily drone strikes now characterizing Sudan’s brutal conflict, the southern Kordofan region continues to suffer significant casualties.

UN rights chief Volker Türk recently expressed alarm over more than 200 civilian deaths from drone attacks within eight days.

“Combatants in Sudan are using increasingly potent drones to unleash explosive weapons with widespread impacts on populated areas,” Türk remarked.

The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over 11 million individuals across Sudan, triggering what the UN labels the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises, with over 33 million people requiring humanitarian aid.

“Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted,” declared Tedros. “It’s time to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and safeguard civilians, health workers, and humanitarian efforts.”