Massacre at Al-Daein Hospital in Sudan: 64 Killed, Including Children, in Airstrike

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, following the targeting of Al-Daein Teaching Hospital in the capital of East Darfur state. The organization confirmed that the attack resulted in dozens of casualties, including dead and injured, amid ongoing military escalation that is hitting vital and medical facilities in the country.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, revealed a heavy toll of at least 64 fatalities. Ghebreyesus clarified that among the dead were 13 children, in addition to two nurses and a doctor, as well as a number of patients who were receiving treatment inside the health facility at the moment of the strike.

For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan expressed its strong dismay over this deadly attack. UN reports indicated that the number of injured reached 89 people, placing immense pressure on the already dilapidated health system in the Darfur region, which suffers from siege and supply shortages.

In the context of documenting the responsible party, the human rights group 'Emergency Lawyers' reported that the airstrike was carried out by drones belonging to the Sudanese Army. The group, which monitors war violations, confirmed that the bombing directly hit vital parts of Al-Daein Teaching Hospital, leading to widespread destruction of medical infrastructure.

Field reports indicate that the attack was described as violent and involved heavy weapons, causing damage to medicine warehouses and medical supplies. Informed sources confirm that targeting health facilities has become a recurring pattern in the ongoing conflict, depriving thousands of civilians of their basic right to access emergency medical care.

Despite the World Health Organization documenting the attack, it adhered to its usual protocol of not directly accusing any party to the conflict. The organization limits itself to verifying the occurrence of attacks and their impact on medical personnel and patients, leaving criminal investigation tasks to other international and human rights bodies.

This escalation comes at a time when Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters control large parts of the Darfur region, while the army's influence is concentrated in the eastern and central areas. International concerns are growing about hospitals turning into arenas for military score-settling, exacerbating the suffering of populations facing the specter of famine and forced displacement.

It is worth noting that Sudan has been experiencing a bloody conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces since mid-April 2023, which has left tens of thousands dead. The United Nations classifies the current displacement crisis in Sudan, which has affected 11 million people, as the worst and most complex crisis in the world in modern times.

The World Health Organization has verified a new attack on healthcare facilities in Sudan, targeting Al-Daein Teaching Hospital, resulting in the deaths of at least 64 people.