The World Health Organization has expressed shock and dismay over reports that 460 patients and their companions were killed at Saudi Maternity Hospital in a city.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that before this attack, WHO had confirmed 285 assaults on healthcare in Sudan, resulting in at least 1,204 deaths and over 400 injuries of health workers and patients since the conflict began.
The conflict between the RSF and military government forces, which started in and around Khartoum in April 2023, has spread across the country.
“All attacks on healthcare must stop immediately and unconditionally,” Tedros demanded, emphasizing the need for protection for health workers and civilians under international law.
Many civilians have fled the RSF takeover, seeking refuge in Tawila, about 60 kilometers from El Fasher, which until recently was the last government-controlled city resisting the RSF for over 500 days.
Civilians arriving in Tawila are “dehydrated, injured, and traumatized,” according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. “The UN and aid organizations are offering life-saving support, but the violence must stop.”
‘No child is safe’
“No child is safe,” stated UNICEF chief Catherine Russell. “Although the full impact remains unclear due to widespread communication blackouts, the estimated 130,000 children in El Fasher face high risks of grave rights violations, including abduction, killing, maiming, and sexual violence.”
Reports also indicate that humanitarian workers are being detained or killed.
UNICEF calls for an immediate ceasefire to halt the violence, ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, protect civilians—especially children—and guarantee safe passage for families seeking refuge, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Russell emphasized that those responsible for violations must be held accountable.
Red Cross workers killed
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed deep sorrow over the killing of five local staff working as volunteers in Bara, North Kordofan state.
“We received this news with profound shock and outrage, and we condemn this horrific and senseless act in the strongest possible terms,” a statement declared.
ICRC pledged to continue supporting humanitarian efforts across Sudan, “striving to uphold the safety, dignity, and protection of all people and communities” affected by the violence.
UN’s head of humanitarian operations in Sudan, Denise Brown, told UN News after a recent visit to the Darfur region before the city’s fall this week, that verifying information from the affected city is challenging, but all atrocities must be recorded to ensure “justice can be served.”
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