GENEVA – The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has urged an immediate end to attacks on healthcare facilities and workers in Sudan following a devastating drone strike on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur. The attack, attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulted in over 70 deaths and numerous injuries.
The Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital, the only functional medical facility in El Fasher, provided essential services including gynecology, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and a nutrition stabilization center. The strike has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
Governor Mini Minnawi of Darfur confirmed that an RSF drone targeted the hospital’s emergency department, killing patients, including women and children. Clashes between the RSF and Sudanese joint forces have intensified in El Fasher, further complicating the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Tedros emphasized the urgent need for a cessation of hostilities and full access for the swift restoration of damaged facilities. “The best medicine is peace,” he stated, highlighting the critical importance of ending the violence to save lives and restore healthcare services in Sudan.
The conflict, which began in April 2023 due to disputes over the integration of the Sudanese army and the RSF, has led to widespread ethnically driven violence and severe food insecurity. The international community continues to call for peace and humanitarian access to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.