8 Killed as Drone strike hits maternity ward in Sudan’s El-Fasher

A drone strike launched by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed eight people inside a maternity ward in the besieged city of El-Fasher, North Darfur, a medical source confirmed to AFP on Wednesday.

The deadly attack, which took place on Tuesday, also left seven others injured and caused extensive damage to hospital buildings and medical equipment, according to the health worker who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

This marks yet another strike on a healthcare facility since the civil war erupted in April 2023 between the RSF and Sudan’s regular army.

El-Fasher Hospital, one of the few still operational in the North Darfur capital, has become a lifeline for civilians trapped amid escalating violence. The city remains the last major urban centre in Darfur not yet captured by the RSF, despite being under siege since May 2024.

The United Nations has described El-Fasher as “the epicentre of child suffering,” where widespread starvation has forced families to survive on animal feed that now costs hundreds of dollars per sack.

The war in Sudan has claimed tens of thousands of lives and triggered the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis, with millions struggling to access food, shelter, and healthcare.