Daijiworld Media Network - Khartoum

Khartoum, Mar 22: At least 64 people, including 13 children, were killed in a deadly strike on a hospital in Sudan’s western Darfur region last week, the World Health Organization confirmed on Saturday.

The attack on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on Friday also left at least 89 people injured and rendered the facility non-functional, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.

Sudan has been gripped by conflict since April 2023, when tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces escalated into a full-scale war across the country.

The RSF has blamed the Sudanese military for the strike, while the army has denied targeting the hospital. However, two military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strike was aimed at a nearby police station.

The ongoing conflict has led to massive loss of life, with the United Nations estimating over 40,000 deaths, though aid agencies believe the actual toll could be significantly higher.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 2,000 people have been killed in attacks on healthcare facilities since the war began, highlighting the severe impact on the country’s fragile health system.

Calling for urgent de-escalation, Ghebreyesus said, “Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan.”