Attack on Sudanese Hospital Leaves 70 Dead, WHO Reports

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A recent attack on a hospital in El Fascher, the capital of North Darfur, Sudan, has resulted in the deaths of at least 70 individuals, with an additional 19 wounded. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the facility was fully occupied at the time of the assault, affecting patients and their companions. The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, highlighted that the healthcare services in the region had already been severely limited due to ongoing bombardments.

According to Tedros, the attacked hospital was the only functioning medical facility in El Fascher, offering essential services in areas such as gynecology, obstetrics, internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics, along with a nutrition stabilization center. Another health facility in El Malha was targeted the day prior, further interrupting the basic medical care available to residents and displaced individuals.

The WHO continues to call for an immediate cessation of all attacks on healthcare services in Sudan and unrestricted access for the rapid restoration of damaged facilities. Tedros emphasized the urgent need for peace in the region, stating that "peace is the best medicine."

Concerns had been raised by the UN Human Rights Office about an anticipated assault on El Fascher, where the rebel group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) issued an ultimatum for government forces to leave by a certain deadline. The Sudanese military has reaffirmed its resistance to attacks, calling on conflicting parties to adhere to international law to protect civilians.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a power struggle between de facto leader Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the RSF. El Fascher is currently the last major city in the region under government control, but ongoing conflicts have led to the destruction of most hospitals and health facilities in the area.

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