UNICEF expresses grave concern over increasing scale of attacks on health facilities in Sudan

CAIRO - 7 April 2026: Sudan is witnessing a tragic escalation of its humanitarian crisis, as an ongoing conflict pushes the country to the brink of total collapse.

 

With more than half the population in need of urgent, life-saving assistance, international concerns are growing about the deteriorating situation, particularly with the increasing attacks on health facilities and personnel.

 

 

Attacks on healthcare facilities in Sudan 

 

According to the United Nations, in the three years since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan, the World Health Organization has verified 214 attacks on healthcare facilities, resulting in 2,042 deaths and 785 injuries. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 13 attacks were verified, resulting in 184 deaths and 295 injuries.

 

In this context, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed grave concern over the increasing scale and frequency of attacks on healthcare in conflict-affected areas of Sudan.

 

On April 2, the Jebalin Teaching Hospital, located southwest of Kosti in White Nile State, was attacked, resulting in the deaths of ten healthcare workers, including the medical director, and injuries to 22 others. The hospital’s emergency room and operating theater were completely destroyed.

 

The UN agency added that this was not an isolated attack. It followed previous attacks on the Kurmuk Teaching Hospital in Blue Nile State on March 24 and on a medical supply depot in Rabak, White Nile State, on April 1, which destroyed vital infrastructure and injured a healthcare worker. There were also reports of attacks on healthcare workers at the Family Hospital.

 

 

WHO calls on the international community to save Sudan

 

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that Sudan is currently facing one of the world's most serious humanitarian and public health emergencies, with more than 33.7 million people, over half the country's population, in urgent need of life-saving assistance, according to the UN Information Centre.

 

The WHO Director-General urged the international community not to ignore Sudan, noting that the ongoing conflict has pushed the health system to the brink of total collapse, and that recent attacks targeting medical facilities have further exacerbated the crisis.

 

The Director-General stressed that these incidents serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for renewed international solidarity and decisive political and humanitarian action; Sudan cannot face this crisis alone.