A devastating aerial strike on el-Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur state has killed 64 people and injured 89 others, including 13 children and medical staff, according to World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The attack occurred on Friday night during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, marking one of the deadliest assaults on healthcare facilities in Sudan’s nearly three-year civil war.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which controls the western Darfur region, accused the Sudanese military of conducting a drone strike that destroyed the hospital’s top floor and critical emergency departments. The army issued an official denial, expressing surprise at the allegations and claiming adherence to international humanitarian laws.
WHO verification confirms this attack brings the total documented healthcare facility assaults to 213 since conflict erupted in April 2023, resulting in 2,036 fatalities. Dr. Tedros declared the hospital completely non-functional, depriving thousands of civilians in East Darfur and surrounding villages of essential medical services. He implored combatants to cease targeting medical infrastructure, stating: ‘Enough blood has been spilled. Health care should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine.’
The conflict originated from a power struggle between former allies—the national military and RSF paramilitaries—who jointly seized power in a 2021 coup. Current UN statistics indicate over 150,000 fatalities and approximately 12 million displaced persons, representing nearly one-third of Sudan’s population. The United Nations has classified the situation as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
East Darfur’s strategic significance has intensified as it serves as a crucial corridor connecting RSF-controlled western territories to the capital Khartoum, which the army recaptured last year. The bordering Kordofan region has emerged as a new frontline with near-daily drone strikes.
The Emergency Lawyers rights group has demanded an independent investigation and accountability for perpetrators. Eid celebrations across Sudan were notably subdued this year amid ongoing violence, despite US-led peace initiatives showing minimal progress in resolving what has become one of Africa’s deadliest conflicts for civilians.