Recent reporting by the BBC uncovers a grim pattern of violence against health facilities in el‑Fasher, a key city in Sudan’s Darfur region. Using on‑the‑ground sources, the investigation details a systematic campaign by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to cripple the city’s medical infrastructure during a siege that began in 2024 and culminated in the RSF’s seizure of the city in October 2025.
Evidence of a Deliberate Campaign
The BBC’s chronology records at least 43 separate attacks on hospitals and clinics from May 2024 to October 2025. These assaults included repeated shelling, drone strikes and raids on the South Hospital, the Saudi Maternity Hospital, the Teaching Hospital and numerous smaller clinics. One of the most harrowing incidents occurred on 8 June 2024, when RSF fighters entered the South Hospital, beat a surgeon with rifle butts and left the operating rooms devastated.
Human Cost
Between April 2023 and October 2025, the BBC’s data show that 120 medical staff were injured, 55 were killed, and 10 were forcibly disappeared or abducted. Survivors recount working in makeshift underground bunkers, transporting patients on donkey carts after ambulances were destroyed, and witnessing attacks that killed patients, drivers and even a donkey.
International Reaction
UN human‑rights chief Volker Türk called the findings “deeply disturbing,” warning that repeated attacks on civilian health facilities violate international humanitarian law and could amount to war crimes. The World Health Organization (WHO) echoed the concern, describing the el‑Fasher attacks as “one of the clearest and most severe examples” of the conflict’s impact on Sudanese health care.
RSF’s Defense and Counter‑Accusations
RSF‑aligned health minister Dr Alaa Eldin Nugud dismissed the allegations as propaganda, claiming the South Hospital was being used as a military base and that hospitals lose protection if they host “acts harmful to the enemy.” He presented video footage of alleged missile launchers and maps of landmines around the Teaching Hospital. However, the BBC found no independent evidence to substantiate these claims, and doctors on the ground refuted the notion that the facilities were militarised.
Why Hospitals Matter in Conflict
International law expressly protects medical facilities and personnel, even in armed conflict, unless they are being used for hostile actions. The RSF’s pattern of targeting—repeatedly striking the same sites after they relocate—suggests an intent to deny civilians access to care, a tactic that can exacerbate mortality far beyond the immediate battlefield casualties.
Broader Implications
If the RSF’s actions are confirmed as deliberate attacks on protected civilian infrastructure, they could trigger investigations by the International Criminal Court and other bodies tasked with enforcing the laws of war. Moreover, the destruction of health services fuels a humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands without essential care, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks, and deepening the trauma of a population already scarred by years of civil war.
Looking Ahead
While the front lines have shifted elsewhere, the legacy of the el‑Fasher siege endures. Health workers continue to operate under threat, and the city’s remaining facilities—now under RSF‑backed administration—face scrutiny over their claims of reopening. The international community’s response, including continued monitoring by the UN and WHO, will be crucial in holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring that the right to health is respected even amid Sudan’s ongoing turmoil.
For readers seeking further detail, the BBC’s full investigation provides a timeline of attacks, survivor testimonies, and satellite imagery that together paint a stark picture of the war’s impact on Sudan’s health system.
