The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday reported a devastating attack on Al Deain Teaching Hospital in Sudan that resulted in numerous deaths and injuries.
The March 20 attack in in East Darfur’s capital, Al Deain, killed over 64 people, including 13 children, as well as nurses, a doctor, and patients. Eighty-nine people were additionally injured and significant damage was inflicted to the hospital’s pediatric, maternity and emergency departments, rendering the facility non-functional. To address the gap caused by the hospital’s disruption, WHO stated that it will scale up the capacity for treating patients and injured people at other health facilities in the country.
The director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, condemned the attack and called for an immediate de-escalation of the conflict in Sudan. He noted that the incident raised the death toll from assaults on healthcare facilities to over 2,000, with 2,013 attacks on hospitals recorded during the nearly three-year conflict. Ghebreyesus emphasized that attacks on healthcare facilities not only cause human deaths but also have long-term consequences for communities by destroying critical infrastructure and depriving them of essential emergency and routine medical services amid ongoing armed conflict.
International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on health establishments and medical staff in times of armed conflict. The protection extends to the wounded and patients, as well as the medical staff’s equipment and means of transport.
The armed conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has resulted in one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world, characterized by mass displacements, food insecurity, health system collapse, and human rights violations that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The UN Secretary-General has previously called for a ceasefire, urging the warring parties to protect Sudanese civilians and prioritize compromise. However, the conflict has entered its third year, with escalating violence worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.
On February 10, the UN Human Rights Chief urged the international community to take immediate action to de-escalate the violence in Sudan, stating that an extension of the arms embargo is needed to curb the inflow of weapons to the country.
