Hospital Attack During Eid Kills 64 in Sudan's Darfur Region
El-Daein, 22 March 2026
A deadly strike on el-Daein Teaching Hospital during Eid celebrations has claimed 64 lives, including 13 children and medical staff, marking another tragic escalation in Sudan’s civil war. The World Health Organization confirmed the facility is no longer operational, adding to over 2,000 deaths from 213 healthcare attacks since the conflict began in April 2023.
Competing Claims Over Responsibility
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of conducting the drone strike on Friday, 19 March 2026, claiming that an army drone destroyed the hospital’s top floor and caused extensive damage to the accident and emergency department [1]. The RSF described the attack as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law” and called for an independent international investigation to hold those responsible accountable [2]. However, the Sudanese military denied responsibility for the strike, stating that it abides by “international norms and laws” [1]. The army has consistently maintained its commitment to these standards whilst accusing the RSF of attacking service and health facilities [3].
Devastating Impact on Healthcare Infrastructure
The attack resulted in 64 deaths, including 13 children, two nurses, and one doctor, with an additional 89 people injured [1][4]. The WHO confirmed that heavy weapons were used in the assault, which caused the hospital to cease operations entirely and disrupted essential medical services in the city [4][5]. The facility served as the primary healthcare centre for thousands of civilians in East Darfur, making its destruction particularly devastating for the local population [1]. Eight medical staff members were among the injured, and the attack significantly damaged the children’s ward, maternity clinic, and emergency department [6].
Escalating Pattern of Healthcare Targeting
This latest attack adds to an alarming trend of healthcare facility targeting throughout Sudan’s civil war. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that over the nearly three-year conflict, the organisation has documented 2,036 deaths in 213 attacks on healthcare facilities [1]. The pattern has become increasingly deadly over time: in 2023, 64 attacks resulted in 38 deaths, whilst in 2024, 72 attacks caused 200 deaths, and in 2025, 65 attacks led to 1,620 deaths, representing 82% of global fatalities from attacks on health facilities [6]. Drone strikes have become particularly common in the Sudanese conflict, especially in South Kordofan, with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk reporting shock at over 200 civilian deaths from drone attacks within just eight days in March 2026 [6].
Strategic Significance and Regional Impact
El-Daein, the capital of East Darfur, remains under RSF control but faces repeated army attacks as forces attempt to dislodge the paramilitary group from the strategically important area [3]. The city serves as a major corridor linking RSF-controlled western Darfur to Khartoum, which was retaken by the army in 2025 [1]. East Darfur borders the Kordofan region, which has become a new front line experiencing near-daily drone strikes [1]. For the estimated 13 million people displaced by the conflict and over 33 million requiring humanitarian assistance [6], the targeting of healthcare infrastructure represents a critical threat to survival. The attack occurred during muted Eid-al-Fitr celebrations across Sudan, highlighting how the conflict has devastated normal life throughout the country [1]. WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus emphasised that “enough blood has been spilled” and called for de-escalating the conflict to ensure protection of civilians and health workers [1][6].