Sudan army drone strike kills 64 at El-Daein Teaching Hospital

A devastating drone strike on El-Daein Teaching Hospital in Sudan's East Darfur state killed at least 64 people, including 13 children, two female nurses, one male doctor, and multiple patients.

“At least 64 people, including 13 children, were killed in a strike targeting a university hospital in El-Daein, the capital of East Darfur”

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The attack occurred on Friday and severely damaged the hospital's pediatric, maternity, and emergency departments, rendering the facility non-functional and cutting off essential medical services to the region.

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According to Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers, the strike was carried out by a Sudanese army drone targeting the RSF-controlled city of El-Daein, which has been regularly attacked by the military as part of efforts to push paramilitaries back toward their Darfur strongholds.

The World Health Organization confirmed the attack through its Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA), which documented that it involved 'violence with heavy weapons' affecting patients, medical staff, supplies, and hospital infrastructure.

The attack marks a grim milestone in Sudan's nearly three-year civil war, bringing the total number of fatalities linked to attacks on healthcare facilities to 2,036 people across 213 verified attacks since the conflict began in April 2023.

This latest incident underscores the escalating brutality targeting medical infrastructure, with WHO data showing attacks on healthcare in Sudan growing deadlier each year.

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In 2023, 64 attacks caused only 38 deaths, while 2024 saw 72 attacks lead to 200 fatalities, and 2025 alone has witnessed 65 attacks claiming 1,620 lives—representing 82 percent of reported deaths from attacks on healthcare worldwide.

The UN humanitarian office in Sudan condemned the attack as 'appalling,' echoing growing international concern as hospitals have become regular targets throughout the war despite repeated condemnation by international bodies.

The attack occurs amid a broader humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, where the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has created what the UN describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.

“The director-general of the organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in a post on the X platform that the organization has verified a 'new attack on healthcare facilities,' noting that the attack targeted Al-Daien Teaching Hospital in the state capital, which resulted in casualties, including two nurses and a doctor”

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The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 11 million people from their homes, with over 33 million Sudanese now requiring humanitarian assistance.

Near-daily drone strikes have become a hallmark of Sudan's brutal war, killing dozens at a time, particularly in the southern Kordofan region.

UN rights chief Volker Türk expressed being 'appalled' after more than 200 civilians were reported killed by drone attacks within an eight-day period, warning that 'parties to the conflict in Sudan continue to use increasingly powerful drones to deploy explosive weapons with wide-area impacts in populated areas.'

Both sides have been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the RSF specifically implicated in atrocities in Darfur that UN experts say bear the hallmarks of genocide.

International health and humanitarian officials have responded with urgent calls for de-escalation and protection of medical facilities.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the attack, stating 'Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted,' and calling for an end to the nearly three-year conflict.

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He emphasized that 'the time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and ensure the protection of civilians, health workers, and humanitarians,' adding that 'health care should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine.'

The WHO is working with local health partners to fill urgent gaps by scaling up capacity at remaining health facilities, deploying trauma care supplies, and providing essential medicines to address the critical interruption of medical services caused by the destroyed hospital.

However, both sides continue to deny responsibility for the attack, with the RSF blaming the Sudanese Army and the military denying involvement while reportedly claiming they had been targeting a nearby police station instead.