IDP camp in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan. 460 people killed in attack on maternity hospital in Sudan’s El Fasher International Law
The World Health Organization (WHO) is shocked and appalled by reports of the tragic deaths of more than 460 patients and their companions in an attack on a maternity hospital in El Fasher, Sudan.
Prior to this attack, WHO recorded 185 attacks on health facilities in Sudan, killing 1,204 people and injuring 416 since the conflict began in April 2023. Forty-nine of these attacks occurred this year alone, killing 966 people, mostly health care workers and patients.
“All attacks on healthcare facilities must cease immediately and unconditionally. All patients, medical personnel and health facilities must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. El Fasher was under siege for more than 500 days. Rapid reaction forces reported the capture of the city two days ago. Fierce fighting is going on there now. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) previously reported that about 26 thousand people left El Fasher within two days.
However, tens of thousands of people still remain in the city. They live in conditions of acute shortage of food, water and medicine. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is concerned about the fate of the children there. “No child is safe,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
He noted that “the true extent of what is happening remains unclear due to widespread communications blackout,” and there are an estimated 130,000 children in El Fasher, all of whom are at grave risk. Russell said there have been reports of kidnappings, murders and sexual violence coming from the city. Detentions and killings of aid workers have also been reported.
UNICEF calls for an immediate ceasefire, ensuring the unimpeded supply of humanitarian aid, protecting civilians, especially children, and creating safe evacuation options for asylum-seeking families, in accordance with international humanitarian law. Those responsible for violations must be held accountable, the Children’s Fund says.