Sudan medical death toll rises to 235 after drone strike in Kosti

May 6, 2026 (KOSTI) — The number of medical personnel killed during the war in Sudan has risen to 235 after a laboratory doctor died in a drone strike on the city of Kosti, the Sudan Doctors Network said on Wednesday.

The human rights group Emergency Lawyers confirmed in a statement that the doctor, Adel Musa al-Tijani, was among those killed or wounded when drones targeted civilian facilities in the White Nile state capital on Tuesday.

Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drones struck several locations in Kosti and the neighbouring city of Rabak yesterday, resulting in five deaths and nine injuries overall.

The Sudan Doctors Network said healthcare workers are among the groups most affected by the conflict, with 511 personnel injured to date.

The group added that 84 medical staff remain in detention, including 20 in El Fasher, North Darfur, and 64 in Nyala, South Darfur. Four female doctors are among those held in El Fasher.

The network described the targeting of medical staff as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law that undermines the health system’s ability to serve civilians.

The organization called on the international community to take effective action to protect civilians and medical workers from targeted attacks.

It also urged the World Health Organization to pressure for the release of personnel held in Darfur, citing dire humanitarian conditions and the spread of epidemics and hunger-related diseases in the region.