Sudanese Hospital Strike Kills 64 During Eid Celebrations

21 March 2026

Ed Daein Hospital after a drone strike by the Sudanese army on March 20, 2026

March 21, 2026 (ED DAEIN) – An airstrike on a hospital in East Darfur has killed at least 64 people and wounded dozens more, the facility’s director said on Saturday, as accusations of war crimes mount against the Sudanese army.

The attack on Ed Daein Hospital occurred on Friday during the first day of Eid al-Fitr. The strike has effectively knocked the major medical hub out of service, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without access to emergency care.

Dr. Ali Mahmoud, the general director of the hospital, told Sudan Tribune that the dead include 13 children and seven women, three of whom were pregnant. Among the 44 men killed, eight were elderly patients.

Another 89 people were injured in the blast, including 11 children, 15 women, and eight members of the medical staff. The hospital serves as a primary care centre for low-income families and those displaced by the country’s ongoing civil war.

The explosion caused the collapse of the male surgical ward and severely damaged the two-story emergency building. The ceiling of the maternity operating theatre was destroyed, and most of the facility’s windows and doors were shattered.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it was shocked by the attack. The agency emphasized that strikes on medical facilities are unacceptable and called for the immediate protection of healthcare workers.

The “Tasis” coalition, which is allied with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accused the Sudanese army of carrying out the strike. The group described the deliberate targeting of a crowded medical facility as a war crime.

Ed Daein Hospital is situated near the RSF’s headquarters, which has maintained control over East Darfur state throughout the conflict. Local officials noted that this is the third time the facility has been hit by aerial bombardment.

The National Umma Party and the Sudanese Congress Party issued statements condemning the strike as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. They urged the international community to pressure both warring parties to spare civilian infrastructure.

Medical officials warned that the closure of the hospital’s dialysis centre has put hundreds of kidney patients at immediate risk of death. Humanitarian partners are currently working to relocate surviving patients and secure urgent surgical supplies.