The short version
- An investigation identifies at least forty-three attacks on health facilities in el-Fasher between May 2024 and October 2025, alleging a deliberate campaign to dismantle the city's medical infrastructure.
- UN human rights chief Volker Türk described the findings as deeply disturbing and potential war crimes, while Sudan’s health minister rejected the allegations as a smear campaign by military rivals.
- Data indicates significant casualties among medical staff in the region, with dozens killed or abducted, alongside reports of ethnic targeting that some investigators link to broader patterns of violence.
A detailed inquiry into the conflict in Sudan has uncovered evidence suggesting that paramilitary fighters systematically targeted healthcare infrastructure in el-Fasher, a major city in Darfur. The investigation, conducted by BBC News, identifies at least forty-three separate attacks on hospitals and medical sites between May 2024 and October 2025. These incidents occurred during and after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of the city, which fell approximately one year ago. The findings point to a coordinated effort to disable medical services, raising serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law.
Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, responded to the report by calling the evidence deeply disturbing. He stated that multiple strikes on civilian infrastructure, particularly health facilities, constitute serious violations of international norms and may amount to war crimes. Under established legal frameworks, attacking medical centers or their personnel during armed conflict is prohibited. The World Health Organization echoed these concerns, noting that the events in el-Fasher represent one of the most severe examples of the conflict’s impact on healthcare systems across Sudan.
Local authorities have strongly contested the allegations. Dr. Alaa Eldin Nugud, the health minister for the civilian-affiliated government associated with the RSF, dismissed the report as propaganda. He characterized the findings as a deliberate attempt by the national army and its allies to damage the reputation of the paramilitary group. This denial highlights the deep polarization surrounding accountability in the ongoing civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between the RSF and Sudan’s military forces.
The human cost of these attacks is substantial. Data gathered from the period between April 2023 and October 2025 shows that 120 medical workers were injured, 55 were killed, and 10 were forcibly disappeared or abducted in el-Fasher. Dr. Muhamed Suliman, a surgeon who remained in the city during the siege, described the strategy as an intentional effort to evacuate hospitals and render them nonfunctional. He argued that destroying the health system was a calculated move to make the city uninhabitable for civilians, thereby forcing displacement.
The timeline of destruction began shortly after the civil war started. Key facilities, including the Teaching Hospital located in a central conflict zone, closed within weeks of the initial fighting. Operations were relocated to South Hospital, which continued to provide services despite increasing challenges such as power outages and supply shortages. However, the situation deteriorated significantly when the RSF initiated its siege of el-Fasher in late May 2024. During this period, South Hospital was shelled multiple times as fighters advanced from the east.
Eyewitness accounts describe chaotic scenes inside medical facilities under attack. On June 8, 2024, RSF forces raided South Hospital, catching staff by surprise. Many workers escaped over walls as fighters entered the building. Dr. Mustafa Ahmed, a pharmaceutical specialist, recounted the suddenness of the assault. The director general of the hospital, surgeon Izzeldin Ahmed Dawaud Asow, faced direct violence during the raid. He reported being beaten with rifle butts and subjected to ethnic slurs by paramilitary fighters who did not recognize his medical role.
Dr. Asow survived the attack by feigning death after losing consciousness. He described how fighters checked his pulse, declared him dead, and left him behind. Upon returning to the hospital after the RSF was driven out by Sudanese military forces, he found surgical equipment destroyed and several patients deceased. The facility subsequently closed, marking a critical loss of medical capacity in the region. These personal testimonies underscore the severity of the violence faced by healthcare providers.
Broader investigations into the fighting in el-Fasher have noted characteristics consistent with genocide. UN investigators have reported that historical ethnic tensions fueled the conflict, with Arab militias forming the backbone of RSF forces targeting non-Arab groups prevalent in the city. The use of derogatory terms against non-Arab Sudanese, as described by Dr. Asow, aligns with these findings. While both sides in the conflict have faced accusations of attacking health facilities, the pattern in el-Fasher appears particularly systematic.
The wider context of the war includes other significant incidents involving medical targets. In March 2026, the WHO condemned drone strikes on al-Daein hospital in eastern Darfur, an area held by the RSF. Those attacks killed dozens and forced the closure of the facility. Although Sudan’s military is believed to have carried out those strikes, it has denied responsibility. The contrast between these events highlights the pervasive danger facing healthcare workers regardless of which faction controls a given territory.
As the conflict continues, the destruction of medical infrastructure in el-Fasher serves as a stark indicator of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan. The systematic nature of the attacks, combined with high casualty rates among medical staff, suggests a strategy aimed at undermining civilian resilience. International bodies are likely to scrutinize these findings further, potentially leading to calls for accountability measures. For now, the lack of functional healthcare in key areas remains a critical barrier to recovery and stability in the region.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- BBC News↗Hospitals deliberately targeted by Sudan's RSF fighters, BBC finds
