Airstrike on Hospital in Sudan; 64 Killed, Including 13 Children

Khartoum: At least 64 people, including 13 children, were killed in an attack on a hospital in Sudan, where a civil war is ongoing. The World Health Organisation stated that the attack on Saturday targeted a teaching hospital in Al Deain, in East Darfur.

The incident injured 89 people. In addition to the 13 children, the dead included two nurses, a doctor, and several patients. Human rights groups reported that the hospital was destroyed by a drone strike carried out by the Sudanese army. However, the World Health Organisation has not officially identified the attackers.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded by calling for an end to attacks on health facilities everywhere. The country’s health system has been largely destroyed as the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces enters its third year.

Currently, only about one-third of Sudan’s hospitals are even partially operational. The Sudanese Civil War, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people and forced more than 1.1 crore people to flee their homes.

The United Nations has warned that Sudan is facing one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises. Epidemics such as cholera, malaria, and measles, along with famine, are currently spreading across the country.