The World Health Organization has revealed that 114 civilians, among them 63 children, lost their lives in what it condemned as “senseless” strikes on a hospital and a kindergarten in Sudan’s South Kordofan state last week.
The organisation described the incident as one of the deadliest assaults on health facilities since the conflict erupted.
According to Essam al-Din al-Sayed, who oversees the Kalogi administrative area, the attack occurred on Thursday when a paramilitary drone unleashed explosives on the army-controlled town, targeting multiple civilian locations. He explained to AFP that the strike “first a kindergarten, then a hospital, and a third time as people tried to rescue the children”. The repeated attacks deepened the scale of casualties and compounded the tragedy for families who had rushed in to save the young victims.
Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating conflict since April 2023, pitting the national army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The prolonged fighting has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced close to 12 million people, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. After securing control of El-Fasher — the army’s final stronghold in the country’s western region — the RSF intensified its push eastward, entering the resource-rich Kordofan area, which is divided into three states and has seen rising violence in recent months.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, citing information from the organisation’s Attacks on Health Care monitoring system, stated on X that the strikes “hit a kindergarten and, at least three times, the nearby Kalogi Rural Hospital, killing 114 people, including 63 children, and injuring 35 people”. He added that the severity of the situation was compounded by the disruption of rescue operations.
Those who escaped Thursday’s assault were transferred to Abu Jebaiha Hospital in South Kordofan for urgent treatment. Health authorities have since made desperate appeals for blood donations, medical supplies, and additional support to manage the overwhelming number of casualties. According to Tedros, the dire conditions were made worse as responders faced deliberate hostility. “Disturbingly, paramedics and responders came under attack as they tried to move the injured from the kindergarten to the hospital,” he said.
The WHO condemned the violence, reiterating its stance against attacks targeting civilians and frontline health workers. “WHO deplores these senseless attacks on civilians and health facilities, and calls again for an end to the violence, and increased access to humanitarian aid, including health,” Tedros wrote. He further stressed the urgent need for calm, adding, “Sudanese have suffered far too much. Ceasefire now!”
Although the organisation routinely documents and verifies attacks on medical facilities, it does not assign blame, as it does not operate as an investigative body. Its report on the incident notes the use of heavy weaponry, restrictions on medical access, and instances of “Psychological violence/threat of violence/intimidation”. The attacks took place between 6:00 am and noon, during hours when the kindergarten and hospital were active.
So far this year, the WHO has documented 63 separate assaults on health care operations in Sudan. These incidents have caused 1,611 deaths and left 259 people injured. Of these attacks, 52 affected health workers, 45 targeted health facilities, and 32 directly harmed patients—figures that underline the widespread and indiscriminate nature of the ongoing conflict.
The growing international alarm was reflected in the reaction from the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was described as “appalled” by the latest violence, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The UN chief also urged countries that hold influence over the warring sides to intervene decisively. He appealed for swift diplomatic pressure, saying that states must “take immediate action and use their leverage to compel an immediate halt to the fighting and stop the arms flows that are fuelling the conflict”.
What You Should Know
The latest strikes in South Kordofan highlight the ongoing brutality of Sudan’s conflict, which has lasted since April 2023 and displaced millions.
A paramilitary drone attack killed over a hundred civilians, mostly children, by hitting a kindergarten and hospital multiple times. The WHO condemned the violence and verified the assault through its health-care monitoring system. Emergency responders were targeted while assisting victims, worsening the tragedy.
The UN has expressed deep concern and urged influential nations to intervene. With 63 attacks on health care recorded this year, Sudan’s humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate rapidly, demanding urgent international action.
