Sat Jan 25 18:11:00 UTC 2025: ## Drone Strike on Sudanese Hospital Kills 30, Exacerbating Darfur Crisis

**El-Fasher, Sudan –** A drone attack on the Saudi Hospital in El-Fasher, North Darfur, killed at least 30 people and injured dozens on Friday, January 24, 2025, according to a medical source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity. The attack, which destroyed the hospital’s emergency building, comes amidst ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The source indicated that the RSF may have been responsible, as the hospital’s emergency building was previously hit by an RSF drone weeks earlier.

The attack further destabilizes an already dire situation in El-Fasher, which has been under siege by the RSF since May 2023. The RSF issued an ultimatum last week demanding army forces leave the city, leading to intermittent fighting and shelling, including an attack on the Abu Shouk displacement camp that killed eight people on Friday morning. The United Nations has expressed serious concerns about the safety of El-Fasher’s civilian population, estimated at two million.

The Saudi Hospital, previously identified by Doctors Without Borders as the only functioning public hospital with surgical capacity in El-Fasher, was a critical resource for a region grappling with famine in three displacement camps and facing the potential spread of famine to five more areas by May. The ongoing war, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 12 million, has severely impacted healthcare access across Sudan, with up to 80% of healthcare facilities out of service.

Suspicions point towards the United Arab Emirates’ potential involvement in supplying the RSF with drones, despite repeated denials. Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab reported observing Chinese-made drones at an RSF-controlled airport, capable of carrying air-to-ground munitions. The US recently concluded that the RSF is committing genocide in Darfur.

While the RSF attempts to gain control of Darfur, the Sudanese army has reported recent victories elsewhere, including regaining control of a major oil refinery and breaking a siege on its Khartoum headquarters. The escalating violence and human rights abuses have led to sanctions against Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan by the outgoing Biden administration. The international community continues to express alarm over the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan.

Read More