Sudan Conflict: Six deaths reported at Obeid hospital following RSF attack in North Kordofan, exacerbating health crisis during Sudan's civil war, as hospital endures significant damage in paramilitary assault.
At least six people, including patients, companions, and medical staff, have perished in a suspected drone attack on the Social Insurance Hospital in El-Obeid, a critical city in North Kordofan, southern Sudan. The attack also left between 12 and 15 others injured, some critically severe. The incident caused extensive damage to the hospital, forcing it to cease medical services, thereby making healthcare scarce in the area[2][3][4][5].
El-Obeid serves as a vital logistics hub for army operations in western Sudan, including the besieged city of El-Fasher in Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which carried out the attack, had previously laid siege to El-Obeid for nearly two years until the national army broke through earlier in February 2025. The drone strike was part of synchronized RSF assaults on residential areas with drones and heavy artillery, further escalating the violence in the region [2][3].
This attack intensifies an ongoing humanitarian crisis amid a worsening cholera outbreak in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Overcrowded hospitals in the region struggle to provide treatment, with patients receiving care in the streets due to the lack of functional healthcare facilities. The destruction of the Social Insurance Hospital further deteriorates healthcare facility capacity during a critical period of disease outbreak, elevating the risk to civilians[1][2].
The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned the RSF strike on the hospital, with its Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling for the protection of health workers and facilities. He emphasized that "the best medicine is peace." The attack therefore not only causes immediate casualties but also undermines public health efforts against cholera and other medical needs in a conflict-ridden area[2].
In summary, the RSF drone attack on the hospital in El-Obeid, southern Sudan, has resulted in numerous casualties, destroyed key healthcare infrastructure, and intensified the region's humanitarian and health crises, particularly amid the severe cholera outbreak and ongoing conflict between RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces[1][2][3][5].
- Refugees from living areas shelled by war in Sudan could face worsening chronic diseases due to the destruction of healthcare facilities such as the Social Insurance Hospital.
- The news of the respiratory-conditions and critical injuries suffered from the drone attack is breaking news, exacerbating the general-news about the political unrest in the region.
- Science and medical-conditions must be considered in policies and legislation for addressing the health-and-wellness challenges faced by communities undergoing war-and-conflicts, as demonstrated by the impact of the El-Obeid hospital attack.
- The car-accidents, fires, and other emergency services may also be hindered in the absence of a functioning hospital, as the workload falls on neighboring centers dealing with immediate casualties from the drone attack.
- The Human Rights Watch have called for governments and international organizations to take action, emphasizing the need to prioritize protection of healthcare workers, facilities, and patients amidst political and crime-and-justice issues in Sudan.
- The attack could lead to an increase in crime rates as damaged infrastructure creates a sense of lawlessness and desperation in the region with the conflict escalating further.
- The situation warrants renewed international focus on Sudan to address its numerous crises, ensuring the implementation of comprehensive health- and-wellness policies and the prevention of future car-accidents, fires, and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure.
- Beyond Sudan, this event highlights the significance of examining the broader impact of war and conflicts on public health, social infrastructure, and human rights across geographies, with global implications for health-and-wellness, politics, science, policy-and-legislation, and beyond.
