A drone strike on a hospital in el-Fasher, a town in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region, killed 70 people and injured 19, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The attack, which took place on Friday, targeted the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital, the only functional medical facility in the area. At the time of the strike, the hospital was filled with patients receiving care, including women and children.
While the WHO did not explicitly state who was responsible, local officials have blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. Darfur’s Governor, Mini Minnawi, confirmed that the RSF launched a drone attack on the hospital’s emergency department, causing significant casualties among the patients. The RSF had previously issued an ultimatum to the Sudanese army and its allies to withdraw from el-Fasher, which expired earlier in the week.
The RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been in conflict since April 2023, and the RSF has surrounded el-Fasher since May, heightening fears of ethnic violence similar to previous atrocities in the region. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, millions displaced, and widespread famine.
In addition to the hospital attack, the RSF has bombarded multiple health facilities and targeted the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of the city. A local activist reported that all hospitals in el-Fasher had been struck by drones and artillery, leaving the healthcare system inoperable.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack as a violation of international law, calling for the protection of medical and humanitarian workers and urging restraint to prevent further harm to civilians.