Drone strike on hospital in Sudan kills 64, says WHO

CAIRO — At least 64 people were killed, including 13 children, in a strike on a hospital in Sudan's western Darfur region, the World Health Organization said on Saturday.

The strike on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on Friday also injured at least 89 people and rendered the hospital nonfunctional, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, said on X.

Sudan slid into chaos in April 2023 when the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted throughout the country.

The RSF has blamed the military for the strike on the hospital. It called the attack a "blatant violation of international humanitarian law", urging an independent international investigation to hold those responsible accountable.

The army has denied the attack, but two military officials said the strike was targeting a nearby police station, The Associated Press reported. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to discuss the matter openly.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Idris Khater, head of the civil administration in East Darfur, put the number of injured at more than 90, and said most of the victims were women and children.

The strike, which completely destroyed the hospital's emergency department, was a "direct targeting of a vital civilian institution", he said.

The devastating war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to United Nations figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.

Agencies - Xinhua