CAIRO, Egypt – March 22, 2026 – A drone strike on a medical facility in Sudan’s East Darfur region has killed at least 60 people, including a dozen children, in what humanitarian organizations are calling one of the deadliest attacks on civilian infrastructure since the country’s conflict began.
The strike hit Al-Daein Teaching Hospital, a major medical center serving the surrounding communities, leaving more than 100 others wounded, according to local health officials. Rescue workers spent hours pulling victims from the rubble as the facility was overwhelmed with casualties, many suffering from severe injuries.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which controls large swaths of Darfur, blamed the attack on unidentified aerial drones and said its own personnel were assisting in evacuation and rescue operations. The group has not yet assigned responsibility for the strike, though tensions between the RSF and Sudan’s national army have remained high amid the country’s ongoing civil war.
Medical Facility Turned Battlefield
Witnesses described scenes of chaos and devastation following the attack, which struck during peak hours when the hospital was filled with patients, medical staff, and families seeking care. The building sustained significant structural damage, with multiple wards collapsing entirely.
“This was a place of healing, not a military target,” a local aid worker who arrived at the scene shortly after the strike told reporters. “The screams we heard will not be forgotten. Children, mothers, doctors—they were all here seeking safety.”
Human rights advocates have long warned that Sudan’s health care system has become a repeated casualty of the country’s brutal conflict, with hospitals frequently caught in crossfire or deliberately targeted by warring factions. The attack on Al-Daein represents one of the highest single-incident death tolls for medical personnel and civilians in recent months.
Ongoing Conflict Takes Heavy Toll
Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since April 2023, when tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF erupted into open combat. The conflict has displaced millions of people, triggered widespread famine, and drawn international condemnation for repeated atrocities against civilians.
East Darfur, where the hospital attack occurred, has been a particularly volatile region throughout the conflict. The area has seen some of the war’s most intense fighting, with both sides accused of targeting civilian infrastructure and committing war crimes.
The United Nations and international aid organizations have repeatedly called for the protection of medical facilities under international humanitarian law, but such attacks have continued with alarming frequency.
International Outpouring of Condemnation
The attack drew swift condemnation from global leaders and humanitarian organizations. The World Health Organization expressed horror at the strike, noting that attacks on health care facilities deprive entire communities of essential services and exacerbate an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.
“The targeting of a hospital is a violation of the most fundamental principles of humanity,” a spokesperson for a major international aid group said. “Those responsible must be held accountable.”
Regional powers and Western governments also weighed in, with several calling for an immediate investigation and urging both sides of the conflict to uphold their obligations under international law.
A Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
As Sudan’s conflict enters its fourth year, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. Millions remain displaced within the country or have fled across borders into neighboring Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt. Food insecurity has reached critical levels, with aid agencies warning that access to basic necessities has become increasingly limited.
The destruction of medical infrastructure further compounds the crisis, leaving wounded civilians with few options for treatment and overwhelming already strained facilities in safer regions.
Local authorities in East Darfur have called for emergency medical supplies and additional personnel to handle the influx of wounded survivors. With security conditions deteriorating across the region, aid groups face significant challenges in delivering assistance to those who need it most.
Calls for Accountability
Human rights organizations have documented numerous attacks on hospitals, schools, and markets throughout Sudan’s conflict, with both warring parties accused of disregarding civilian protections. The attack on Al-Daein Teaching Hospital is expected to be added to the growing list of incidents under investigation by international bodies seeking to document potential war crimes.
As the international community absorbs the latest tragedy, Sudanese civilians continue to bear the heaviest burden of a conflict that shows no signs of abating.
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