The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that an attack on a hospital in East Darfur state, Sudan, resulted in at least 64 deaths, including 13 children. WHO's director called for an end to the war after it entered its third year, which has paralyzed the health system and caused over 2,000 deaths from attacks on medical facilities.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, disclosed details of the attack on Friday, 20 March, at the Learning Center Hospital in El-Daein, the capital of East Darfur state. The explosion from heavy weaponry caused at least 64 immediate deaths and injured another 89 people.
Among the dead were confirmed 13 children, 2 female nurses, 1 male doctor, and many patients. Additionally, eight healthcare workers were seriously injured. Local human rights lawyers reported the attack was a drone strike by the Sudanese military attempting to advance into territory controlled by the semi-military Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The attack severely damaged the pediatric, obstetrics and gynecology, and emergency departments, rendering the hospital unable to continue operating. This has drastically affected the local population's access to essential medical services.
According to the Surveillance System for Attacks on Healthcare (SSA), since the outbreak of the war in Sudan in April 2023, there have been a total of 2,036 deaths from attacks on medical facilities across 213 incidents. Notably, in 2025 alone, 1,620 deaths occurred—representing 82% of the global deaths from attacks on healthcare facilities.
The WHO director expressed deep sorrow: "There has been enough bloodshed. The suffering is unbearable. Medical facilities must never be targets in war because peace is the best medicine for humanity."
Currently, the war in Sudan has displaced over 11 million people, with more than 33 million facing acute hunger and urgent humanitarian needs. Drone attacks on civilian areas have become a brutal norm, prompting continuous condemnation from the United Nations over the rapidly increasing civilian casualties.