Sudan's army has denied it carried out a deadly attack on a major hospital on Friday night in el-Daein, a city in the west of the country controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that 64 people - including 13 children, two nurses, and a doctor - died in the strike on el-Daein Teaching Hospital, with 89 others reported injured.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his outrage, stating, Enough blood has been spilled, urging all involved parties to cease the conflict that has persisted for nearly three years.
The RSF claimed that an army drone struck the hospital during the Eid festival. In response to the allegations of responsibility for the strike, the military expressed surprise and asserted it follows international norms and laws.
Dr. Tedros noted the dire situation: the hospital was left non-functional, depriving thousands of vital healthcare. He called for the protection of civilians and health workers, stating that health care should never be a target and advocating for peace as a necessary remedy.
The ongoing civil war in Sudan, which began in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the military and the RSF, has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and the displacement of around 12 million people, marking it as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Recent violence has intensified as both sides continue to engage despite international calls for peace.
