Al-Daein, March 22 (Darfur24)
At least 64 people were killed and 89 others injured in an air strike that targeted Al-Daein Hospital in East Darfur State on Friday, coinciding with the first day of Eid al-Fitr, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhi, said the victims included 13 children, two nurses, and a doctor, describing the attack as “another devastating blow to healthcare in Sudan.” She added that “in a single moment, a place of healing turned into a scene of devastation.”
Medical sources and doctors told Darfur24 that the strike rendered the hospital completely out of service, after patients, medical staff, and their companions fled the facility, while services collapsed following the bombing.
The Sudanese Founding Alliance “Ta’sis” accused the Sudanese army of carrying out the strike using a drone, reporting at least 39 civilian deaths and 78 injuries in an earlier toll, including women and children.
According to Ali Mohamed Issa, a volunteer at the scene, the strikes targeted key sections of the hospital, including the emergency and accident department, pediatric and maternity wards, as well as the northern gate area, which is usually crowded with civilians.
He added that repeated strikes and prolonged drone presence over the city hindered rescue efforts and contributed to the high number of casualties, noting that many of the victims were patients and civilians in nearby areas.
The United Nations, political groups including the National Umma Party and the Sudanese Congress Party, as well as the Emergency Lawyers group, condemned the attack.
Balkhi said the WHO is working with the state Ministry of Health and partners to maintain health services by expanding nearby facilities and providing urgent medical supplies.
She also called for an immediate end to attacks on healthcare facilities and urged all parties to ensure the protection of medical services and access to life-saving care.
Al-Daein Hospital, the largest health facility in East Darfur, had been receiving patients from across the region, including Kordofan and North Darfur. Its destruction further deepens the humanitarian crisis amid ongoing conflict and shortages of medical supplies and personnel.