A strike on a healthcare facility in Sudan has killed 64 people and wounded 89 more, the World Health Organization reported on Saturday. The attack on the El-Daein teaching hospital in East Darfur, which is controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has drawn sharp condemnation from international bodies and local rights groups.

Confirmed Attack on Health Facility

The WHO confirmed the attack. Marking it as one of the deadliest strikes on a healthcare facility since the war in Sudan began. The organization’s surveillance system for attacks classified the incident as “confirmed,” though it did not provide an exact location of the strike. The attack involved “violence with heavy weapons,” affecting medical personnel, patients, supplies, and storage, according to the WHO’s records.

Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers. Which tracks atrocities in the war between Sudan’s army and the RSF, reported that the attack was carried out by an army drone. This aligns with patterns of near-daily drone strikes that have become a hallmark of the brutal conflict in the region; the RSF dominates western Darfur, while the Sudanese army controls the eastern, central, and northern regions of the country.

Escalating Conflict and Civilian Toll

The attack on El-Daein. The RSF-controlled state capital of East Darfur, is part of an ongoing struggle between the army and the RSF — the army has been trying to push the paramilitary group back towards its Darfur strongholds and away from Sudan’s central corridor. Earlier this month. A recent strike on the city’s market set fire to oil barrels, which burned for hours and caused widespread damage.

The UN human rights chief. Volker Türk. This month expressed deep concern after more than 200 civilians were reported killed by drone attacks within an eight-day period. He warned that “parties to the conflict in Sudan continue to use increasingly powerful drones to deploy explosive weapons with wide-area impacts in populated areas.”

By December, more than 1,800 people had been killed in attacks on health facilities since the start of the war, including 173 health workers, according to the UN. The attack on the hospital in East Darfur comes amid a broader pattern of violence targeting healthcare facilities. This year, a total of 12 attacks on health care in Sudan have been recorded, causing 178 deaths and 237 injuries.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million from their homes. It has fueled what the UN describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises, with more than 33 million people in need of humanitarian aid. The attack on the hospital in East Darfur adds to the growing toll on civilians, many of whom are already struggling to access basic necessities.

Emergency Lawyers, the Sudanese rights group, has documented numerous atrocities in the war, including attacks on healthcare facilities, which are protected under international law. The group said the strike on El-Daein teaching hospital was a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

“The attack on the hospital in El-Daein is a tragic reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan,” said a spokesperson for the group. “Healthcare facilities must be protected at all costs, as they are essential for saving lives in times of war.”

The WHO does not attribute blame for attacks on health facilities, as it is not an investigative agency. However, the organization has been tracking and verifying attacks since the war began. The attack on the hospital in East Darfur has been classified as “confirmed” by the WHO’s surveillance system, which monitors incidents of violence against healthcare infrastructure.

The conflict in Sudan has reached a critical point, with no clear end in sight. The UN has repeatedly called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for the protection of civilians, but these appeals have largely gone unheeded. The recent strike on the hospital in East Darfur exposes the urgent need for international intervention to prevent further loss of life and to ensure that healthcare facilities remain safe for the people they serve.

The war has created a humanitarian emergency of unmatched scale, with millions of people in need of aid. The attack on the hospital in El-Daein is a stark reminder of the human cost of the conflict and the urgent need for a resolution to end the violence and protect the most vulnerable.