Drone Attack on El Fasher's Saudi Hospital Kills 70, Injures 19; RSF Blamed

Jan 26, 2025, 06:12 AM

A drone attack on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital in El Fasher, Sudan, has resulted in the deaths of approximately 70 people and injured 19 others, according to the World Health Organization's chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The hospital, located in the besieged city of El Fasher in the Darfur region, was the only functional medical facility in the area. The attack, which occurred on a Friday, was condemned by Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry as a violation of international law. Local officials attributed the strike to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in conflict with the Sudanese military. The assault on the hospital's emergency ward was described by Sudan's Foreign Ministry as a 'massacre.' The RSF had previously issued a 48-hour ultimatum to forces allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces to vacate El Fasher, indicating a forthcoming offensive. The city has been under RSF siege since May 2024, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.