A strike on el-Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on the evening of Eid al-Fitr killed at least 64 people, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Saturday, bringing the total number of people killed in attacks on health care during Sudan’s civil war to 2,036.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 13 children, two nurses, a doctor, and multiple patients were among those killed in the March 20 attack. Another 89 people were wounded, including eight health workers. The strike destroyed the hospital’s paediatric, maternity, and emergency departments, leaving the facility non-functional.
.@WHO has verified yet another attack on health care in #Sudan. This time, Al Deain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur’s capital, Al Deain, was struck, killing at least 64 people, including 13 children, two female nurses, one male doctor, and multiple patients.
As a result of this… pic.twitter.com/RAwDR5YVjd
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 21, 2026
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attributed the attack to a Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) drone. El-Daein is the capital of East Darfur state and falls within the RSF’s area of control across the Darfur region. The SAF denied involvement. Two army officials told the Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity, that the strike was aimed at a nearby police station.
The Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers called for an independent investigation and said the hospital served thousands of civilians across the city and surrounding villages.
“Enough blood has been spilled. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and ensure the protection of civilians, health workers, and humanitarians,” Ghebreyesus said. “Health care should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine.”
Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023 when fighting erupted between the SAF and RSF. More than 150,000 people have died and about 12 million have been displaced, according to the United Nations.
In January 2025, an RSF drone strike on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur, killed more than 70 people.
