The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called on January 26 for an immediate end to attacks on healthcare workers and facilities in Sudan after a drone strike on a hospital in the North Darfur region killed more than 70 people and injured dozens.
The attack, which took place on Friday January 24, targeted the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital in El Fasher, the only functional hospital in the area, providing vital medical services including obstetrics, surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, and nutrition stabilization.
WHO Chief expressed his deep concern over the strike, highlighting the devastating impact on patients, including women and children, and reiterated WHO’s call for a cessation of all attacks on healthcare in Sudan. He urged for full access to be granted for the swift restoration of damaged medical facilities, which are crucial for the survival of many in a country already overwhelmed by a humanitarian crisis. The war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023, has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions, with the conflict exacerbating food insecurity and ethnic violence across the country.
The drone strike was attributed to the RSF, and Darfur Governor Mini Minnawi confirmed that it hit the hospital’s emergency department. The region has witnessed fierce fighting between the RSF and Sudanese joint forces, including the army, local resistance groups, and police. The escalating violence in Darfur has led to widespread suffering, particularly among vulnerable populations, and further strained the already fragile health infrastructure in Sudan.