The most recent attack on a Sudanese hospital has left at least ten people dead, including seven medical workers, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Two drone strikes on Thursday targeted Al Jabalain Hospital in White Nile State, damaging an operating theatre and a maternity ward. MSF's emergency chief in Sudan, Esperanza Santos, described the assault as unacceptable and noted it occurred during a children's immunisation campaign. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are reportedly responsible for the attack. In a separate incident the same day, a medical supply depot in Rabak, White Nile's capital, was also struck. Local rights group Emergency Lawyers highlighted a recurring pattern of drone attacks by warring factions since March, which have displaced communities across multiple provinces. The World Health Organization reported over 200 attacks on healthcare facilities since the war began in April 2023, including a recent strike in Darfur that killed 70 people, including 13 children. Sudan's culture minister, Khalid Aleisir, condemned the violence and accused regional backers of fueling the conflict by providing advanced weapons and drones. A local monitoring group called the attack a deliberate assault on civilians and health infrastructure, worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
When Khalid Aleisir blames regional backers for supplying drones and weapons that turn hospitals into targets, he's not just pointing fingers—he's exposing a deliberate strategy of destruction. The RSF's reported use of unmanned strikes to flatten maternity wards and operating theatres isn't collateral damage; it's a calculated tactic to cripple Sudan's already fragile healthcare system. This isn't just a war crime—it's a blueprint for how modern conflicts weaponise civilian infrastructure, and Nigeria must watch closely as these tactics spread across Africa's fragile states.
