Sudan’s War Turns Hospitals into Frontlines, WHO Warns

By Brian Kiprono - Reporter

Kenya, December 20 2025 - Hospitals, clinics and ambulances in Sudan are increasingly being drawn into the country’s brutal conflict, with deadly consequences for patients and health workers alike. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that attacks on health care are not only rising, but are becoming more lethal and widespread, stripping communities of life-saving services when they are needed most.

Since fighting erupted in April 2023, the UN health agency has verified 201 attacks on health care facilities, staff and transport across Sudan. These assaults have claimed at least 1,858 lives and injured nearly 500 people. The scale of the crisis has sharply worsened this year alone. In 2025, WHO recorded 65 attacks that led to more than 1,620 deaths — accounting for over 80 per cent of all deaths from attacks on health care in complex humanitarian emergencies worldwide this year.

Behind the statistics are overstretched doctors, nurses and support staff continuing to work under extreme pressure. “Health workers have been providing services with exceptional courage and dedication,” said Dr Shible Sahbani, WHO’s representative in Sudan. “They need protection, not bombardment or detention.”

One of the latest incidents occurred on December 14, when a hospital in Dalanj, South Kordofan — a vital referral centre for surrounding communities — was attacked. Nine health workers were killed and 17 others injured, further crippling services in a region already struggling with shortages of staff and supplies.

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Earlier in the month, violence struck even closer to children’s lives. A kindergarten and Kalogi Rural Hospital in South Kordofan were hit, killing 114 people, including at least 60 children. Health workers were treating the wounded when the hospital itself came under fire, forcing emergency evacuations amid ongoing flames.

In Darfur, repeated attacks have disrupted care for months. In Nyala, South Darfur, reports indicate that at least 70 health workers were detained alongside around 5,000 civilians. In El Fasher, targeted strikes on health facilities in October included a maternity hospital, where more than 460 patients, relatives and civilians were killed. Six health workers were also abducted in November.

WHO has called for an immediate end to all attacks on civilians, health workers and medical facilities, urging all parties to respect international humanitarian law and allow safe, unimpeded access for aid. For millions of Sudanese cut off from basic care, the agency says, peace is not just a political goal — it is a matter of survival.