Following a heavy drone strike on the El-Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur that killed at least 64 people, including 13 children, a heated exchange of blame and international condemnation has erupted between Sudan’s warring factions.
In a statement released Saturday, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that 89 people were wounded in Friday’s attack. The dead included two female nurses and one male doctor, highlighting how vulnerable the country’s remaining healthcare professionals have become.
The strike targeted the region’s primary medical center, causing a major disruption to health services for local residents. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on social media that the blast caused extensive damage to the pediatric, maternity, and emergency departments.
“Enough blood has been spilled,” said Dr. Tedros, confirming that the hospital is now “non-functional,” which presents a significant barrier to accessing life-saving services for a population caught in a conflict lasting nearly three years.
While the perpetrator of the attack has not yet been officially identified, it has sparked intense debate. The Sudanese rights group “Emergency Lawyers” reported that the strike was carried out by a government army drone. El-Daein is currently a city under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Sudanese Armed Forces, for its part, denied responsibility in a statement issued through the official news agency (SUNA). The military asserted that it “adheres to international norms and laws,” and instead accused the RSF, claiming that “attacking service and health facilities is a daily practice of the terrorist militia.”
Although the RSF has not yet responded to the specific accusation, it has historically blamed the Sudanese army’s aerial superiority for air strikes on civilian facilities in Darfur.
The United Nations humanitarian office in Sudan expressed its “shock” at the attack. The organization noted that hospitals have been regular targets of the war since it broke out in April 2023.
According to WHO data, the death toll from attacks on Sudanese health facilities has now surpassed 2,000 following this strike in El-Daein. Aid organizations warn that the death toll could worsen as the few remaining shelters for the sick and wounded become battlefields during the army’s movement to reclaim RSF-held positions in West Darfur.
