WHO verifies deadly hospital attack in war-torn Sudan

The Al Deain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur’s capital, Al Deain, was struck late Friday, killing scores of people, including 13 children, two nurses, a doctor and multiple patients.

“Enough blood has been spilled,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Enough suffering has been inflicted. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and ensure the protection of civilians, health workers and humanitarians.”

To date, the total number of fatalities linked to attacks on health facilities has now surpassed 2,000 during Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023 between rival militaries.

Deaths, injuries and damages

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 in Al Deain.

This latest attack also injured 89 people, including eight health staff, and damaged the hospital’s paediatric, maternity and emergency departments.

In total, more than 720 people have been injured in attacks on health care during the war to date.

Long-term consequences

Beyond the devastating human toll, attacks on health care have immediate and long-term consequences for communities already in desperate need of both emergency and routine medical services.

Al Deain Teaching Hospital is currently non-functional due to the extensive damage caused by the attack, resulting in a critical interruption of essential medical services.

WHO is supporting local health partners to help fill urgent gaps by scaling up capacity at other health facilities. This includes:

• strengthening primary health care services to provide outpatient, paediatric and obstetric care
• increasing capacity to treat the injured
• deploying trauma care supplies and essential medicines

“Health care should never be a target,” the WHO chief said. “Peace is the best medicine.”