The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 21 reported a devastating attack on Al Deain Teaching Hospital in Sudan that resulted in numerous deaths and injuries among individuals and healthcare workers.

The March 20 attack in in East Darfur's capital, Al Deain, killed over 64 people, including 13 children, nurses, a doctor, and patients. Eighty-nine people were additionally injured and significant damage was inflicted to the hospital’s pediatric, maternity and emergency departments, rendering the facility non-functional.

The director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, condemned the attack and called for an immediate de-escalation of the conflict in Sudan. He noted that the incident raised the death toll from assaults on healthcare facilities to over 2,000, with 2,013 attacks on hospitals recorded during the nearly three-year conflict. Importantly, Ghebreyesus emphasized that attacks on healthcare facilities not only cause human deaths but also have long-term consequences for communities by destroying critical infrastructure and depriving them of essential emergency and routine medical services amid ongoing armed conflict.

International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on health establishments and medical staff in times of armed conflict. The protection extends to the wounded and patients, as well as the medical staff's equipment and means of transport. (Jurist)