WHO chief confirms 64 killed in Darfur hospital strike as war toll tops 2,000
March 23, 2026 (Ed DAEIN) – World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that a strike on Ed Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur has killed at least 64 people, including 13 children and three medical staff.
The attack, which occurred on Friday night, injured 89 others and caused extensive damage to the facility’s pediatric, maternity, and emergency departments. The hospital is now non-functional, resulting in a critical interruption of essential medical services.
This latest tragedy marks a grim milestone in the Sudanese conflict, with the total number of fatalities linked to attacks on health facilities now surpassing 2,000. Over the nearly three-year war, the WHO has verified 2,036 deaths in 213 separate attacks on health care.
Tedros noted that the victims of the Ed Daein strike included two female nurses, one male doctor, and multiple patients. In total, more than 720 people have been injured in attacks on health care during the war to date.
The destruction of the hospital has immediate and long-term consequences for a community in desperate need of both emergency and routine medical care. The WHO stated that the closure of the capital’s main teaching hospital has left a massive gap in the region’s health infrastructure.
To address the crisis, the WHO is supporting local health partners to scale up capacity at other facilities. This effort includes strengthening primary health care for outpatient, pediatric, and obstetric services, as well as increasing the capacity to treat the wounded.
Trauma care supplies and essential medicines are being deployed to the area to support remaining medical teams. The WHO head emphasized that these measures are stopgaps for a system under systematic assault.
Tedros issued a plea for the protection of civilians and health workers, stating that enough blood has been spilled during the conflict. He urged an immediate de-escalation, reiterating that health care should never be a target and that peace is the best medicine.