Over 1,600 people have been killed in attacks on health centers in Sudan this year, WHO chief says

Over 1,600 killed in attacks on Sudanese healthcare facilities this year, UN reports

More than 1,600 people have been killed in attacks on medical facilities and healthcare centers in war-torn Sudan so far this year, according to a statement from the United Nations health chief on Wednesday. The grim statistic highlights the escalating humanitarian crisis in the African nation as the conflict enters its third year.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), reported that the agency has documented 65 attacks on health facilities since January. These attacks have also left 276 people wounded, further straining Sudan’s already crumbling healthcare infrastructure.

The most recent incident occurred Sunday when a drone struck a military hospital in Diling, the capital of South Kordofan province. The attack killed nine people and wounded 17 others. South Kordofan has emerged as a critical flashpoint in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“Every attack deprives more people from health services and medicines – needs that do not pause while facilities are rebuilt and services restored,” Ghebreyesus said in a post on social media platform X.

The Sudan Doctor’s Network, a professional medical group monitoring the conflict, attributed the Diling hospital drone strike to RSF forces. According to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, the casualties in Diling were among at least 104 people killed in attacks across the Kordofan region since December 4.

Among the most devastating attacks on healthcare infrastructure was an RSF offensive targeting the Saudi Hospital in el-Fasher, a city in Darfur, this past October. WHO officials reported that gunmen killed at least 460 people at the facility and abducted medical personnel, including doctors and nurses.

Sudan’s descent into chaos began in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between the military and the RSF erupted into open warfare in the capital Khartoum before spreading to other regions. The power struggle between these two factions has since transformed into a brutal conflict with catastrophic humanitarian consequences.

According to United Nations figures, the war has claimed more than 40,000 lives, though humanitarian organizations caution this is likely a significant undercount. The actual death toll could be many times higher, with accurate reporting hampered by ongoing fighting and limited access to conflict zones.

The impact extends far beyond direct casualties. The conflict has generated what the UN describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with over 14 million people – nearly one-third of Sudan’s population – forced to flee their homes. This massive displacement, combined with the systematic targeting of healthcare facilities, has led to widespread disease outbreaks and famine in parts of the country.

International aid organizations face enormous challenges in delivering assistance, with many areas becoming inaccessible due to fighting. The destruction of healthcare facilities has particularly devastating effects in a country where medical resources were already limited before the conflict.

Regional experts warn that without a significant international intervention and a sustainable ceasefire, Sudan’s humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate. Neighboring countries, including Egypt, South Sudan, and Chad, have absorbed hundreds of thousands of refugees, putting additional strain on their resources.

As attacks on healthcare facilities continue with apparent impunity, humanitarian organizations are calling for increased protection of medical infrastructure and personnel in accordance with international humanitarian law, which explicitly prohibits targeting healthcare facilities during armed conflict.