Dhruv Arun — March 24, 2026
A deadly strike on a hospital in Sudan’s Darfur region has intensified global concern over the country’s worsening civil war, after dozens of civilians were killed and a critical medical facility was destroyed. Sudan’s army has denied it carried out a deadly attack on a major hospital on Friday night in a city in the west of the country held by its rivals, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The head of the World Health Organization said 64 people were killed, including 13 children, two nurses and a doctor, who had died in the strike on El-Daein Teaching Hospital, and 89 others had been wounded. Dr. Tedros, who said El-Daein Teaching Hospital was no longer able to function following Friday night’s attack, condemned the frequent targeting of medical facilities.
Responsibility for the strike remains contested between Sudan’s warring factions. The RSF has blamed the military for the strike on the hospital. The RSF said an army drone had hit the hospital in el-Daein, the capital of East Darfur state, on the day Muslims were marking the festival of Eid. The army has denied the attack, but two military officials said the strike was targeting a nearby police station. In response, the military said it was surprised by the accusation that it was behind the attack, adding that it abided by “international norms and laws.”
The attack comes as Sudan’s broader conflict continues to devastate the country. Sudan slid into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into war throughout the country. No end is in sight to bring a stop to the fighting, now considered one of the deadliest conflicts in Africa for civilians, despite U.S.-led peace efforts.
The humanitarian toll has been staggering, with millions affected by violence and displacement. The devastating war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher. More than 150,000 people have since died in the conflict, and about 12 million have fled their homes (nearly a third of the country’s population) in what the United Nations has called the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
Additionally, medical facilities have become a repeated target in the fighting, further worsening conditions for civilians. The WHO has said that over 2,000 people have been killed in attacks on medical facilities since the start of the war. “Over the nearly three-year conflict, WHO has confirmed that 2,036 people have been killed in 213 attacks on health care, including Friday night’s strike,” the WHO chief said in his tweet. In a statement, the RSF said the strike had completely destroyed the hospital’s top floor, caused extensive damage to the accident and emergency department, and destroyed vital medical equipment.
Local organizations say the destruction of the hospital has left thousands without access to essential care. The local rights organisation, which has documented atrocities by both the army and the RSF throughout the war, said the hospital in el-Daein was a vital health facility relied upon by thousands of civilians in the city and surrounding villages. The Emergency Lawyers group has called for an independent and transparent investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
International officials have urged an immediate de-escalation of the conflict as civilian casualties continue to mount. “The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and ensure the protection of civilians, health workers, and humanitarians,” he said. He also added that “Health care should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine.”
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Extemp Question: Are the attacks on Sudan’s hospitals primarily the result of military strategy or a breakdown of accountability?
