Accusations against Sudanese Army for targeting medical facility using advanced drone technology
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The Sudanese Armed Forces have been accused of killing more than 60 civilians in an aerial attack on a medical facility in Sudan’s Darfur region, in an incident that has intensified concerns over the targeting of healthcare infrastructure in the country’s ongoing conflict.
More than 60 civilians were killed in an aerial attack by the Sudanese army on a medical facility in Darfur.
According to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at least 13 children were among those killed in the strike on al-Daein Teaching Hospital, located in the East Darfur state capital, al-Daein.
Speaking on Saturday, Tedros said the casualties also included multiple patients, two female nurses, and one male doctor. He added that 89 other individuals were injured in the attack, including eight healthcare workers.
The strike, which occurred on Friday night, caused extensive damage to the hospital’s paediatric, maternity, and emergency departments, effectively rendering the facility nonfunctional and disrupting access to critical medical services for residents of the city.
“As a result of this tragedy, the total number of fatalities linked to attacks on health facilities during Sudan’s war has now surpassed 2,000,” Tedros said. He noted that throughout the nearly three-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the WHO has confirmed 2,036 deaths resulting from 213 attacks on healthcare facilities.
A Sudanese civil society organisation, Emergency Lawyers, also reported that the hospital was struck by an army drone.
The reported use of drones in the attack has further raised concerns about an escalation in military tactics in the Sudanese conflict. Some reports suggest the strike may have involved a Turkish-made “Karneji” drone, a system believed to be capable of conducting precision strikes.
Analysts warn that deploying such weapons in densely populated civilian areas increases the risk of mass casualties and infrastructure destruction. Targeting medical facilities is widely regarded as a violation of international humanitarian law, which grants special protection to hospitals and healthcare personnel during armed conflicts.
The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF erupted in mid-April 2023, triggering one of the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian crises. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, more than 12 million displaced, and over 33 million are currently in need of humanitarian assistance.
While the RSF maintains control over much of the Darfur region in western Sudan, the national army holds territory across the east, central, and northern parts of the country.
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