An airstrike has severely damaged Al-Daein Teaching Hospital in Sudan’s conflict-ridden Darfur region, leaving parts of the facility in ruins and raising fears of significant casualties among patients and medical staff.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and confusion as munitions struck without warning, hitting the hospital at a time when wards were reportedly crowded. “There were moments of terror,” one witness said, recounting how the strike caused sections of the building to collapse onto those inside.
The attack has been attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces, with reports indicating the use of a Turkish-made drone. The incident underscores the intensifying nature of the conflict, where critical civilian infrastructure continues to be caught in the crossfire.
Rescue teams have been deployed to the site and are working under extremely challenging conditions to search through the debris. Efforts to retrieve survivors and victims have been hampered by the extent of the destruction and limited access to equipment.
The targeting of medical facilities has drawn widespread concern from humanitarian observers, who warn of the deepening crisis in Darfur. Hospitals, already strained by shortages of supplies and personnel, are increasingly vulnerable amid ongoing hostilities.
Authorities have yet to release an official casualty figure, as rescue operations continue and the full scale of the damage is still being assessed.
The strike highlights the escalating humanitarian toll of Sudan’s conflict, with civilians bearing the brunt of violence in regions like Darfur, where access to healthcare and emergency services remains critically limited.
