Deadly Attack on Sudan Hospital Kills at Least 64, Including 13 Children, WHO Reports

At least 64 people were killed in a brutal attack on a hospital in Sudan's Darfur region. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, 13 of the deceased were children.

The attack occurred on Friday night at Al Deain Teaching Hospital in Al Deain, the capital of East Darfur state. Several patients, including two female nurses and one male doctor, lost their lives in the assault.

Information released by Director-General Tedros on social media indicated that 89 others were injured in the attack, including eight healthcare workers. The attack caused extensive damage to the hospital's pediatric department, maternity services, and emergency room. Consequently, the hospital has completely shut down, leading to a total halt of essential medical services in the city.

During the civil war ongoing for the past three years between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the death toll from attacks on health facilities has surpassed 2,000. According to the WHO, 213 attacks on the health sector have been confirmed to date, resulting in the deaths of 2,036 people.

No official information has been immediately released regarding who carried out Friday's latest attack.

This war, which began in mid-April 2023, has triggered one of the world's fastest-growing humanitarian crises. The conflict has killed thousands of people so far, and more than 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Both sides have faced accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Specifically, violence perpetrated by the RSF in the Darfur region has been termed genocide by United Nations experts.