A drone strike on El Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur State has brought into sharp focus the devastating toll of Sudan’s ongoing war, which began in April 2023 and is now approaching its fourth year.
The Rapid Support Forces reported that the attack, carried out on Friday, killed more than 62 people—including 12 children—and injured 113 others, most of them women and children. Rescue teams are still searching the rubble for additional victims.
According to the statement, the “cowardly attack” used an ‘Akanji’-type drone, destroying the hospital’s upper floor, severely damaging the emergency department, and obliterating medical equipment. The forces called the assault “a fully-fledged war crime and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” emphasizing that attacks on medical facilities are strictly prohibited under the Geneva Conventions.
The statement added that the attack sparked widespread outrage among the local community, which condemned the violence and rejected what it described as terrorism by the Muslim Brotherhood, noting that the strike violated all international laws and norms.
Regional Government Condemns Targeting of Civilians
The Darfur Regional Government, aligned with the Peace Government, described the attack as “heinous” and deliberate, targeting a civilian medical facility on the first day of Eid al-Fitr. The bombardment struck critical hospital departments, including maternity, pediatric, and emergency units, leaving dozens dead and wounded—mostly women and children.
The regional government stressed that such attacks are considered war crimes under international law, holding the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, responsible. It called on the United Nations and the international community to intervene, including imposing an immediate ban on military aviation over Darfur to protect civilians.
Children and Women Bear the Brunt
Reports from MadaMik and UNICEF highlight that children and women remain the most affected by the conflict. Children face violence, disrupted education, loss of healthcare, and forced recruitment into armed groups, while women are increasingly exposed to sexual violence.
UNICEF estimates that millions of Sudanese children have suffered direct consequences of the war, with displacement and loss of essential services threatening the well-being of an entire generation.
Abdelkader Abu, Secretary-General of the National Council for Child Welfare, said the conflict has severely impacted education, with over 85% of children experiencing prolonged interruptions to schooling. The council has documented around three million children affected by educational disruption.
Abu also reported alarming humanitarian figures: over 1.013 million child deaths linked to malnutrition, roughly 1,000 deaths from hunger, and 700 children reported missing since the outbreak of the war.