BBC Investigation Reveals Systematic Targeting of Sudanese Hospitals by RSF
A BBC probe documents at least 43 attacks on health facilities in el‑Fasher and a deadly toll on medical staff.
Wow—the BBC’s latest investigation uncovers a grim pattern of violence against health care in Sudan’s war‑torn Darfur region.
Using on‑the‑ground sources in el‑Fasher, the report documents at least 43 separate attacks on hospitals and other medical sites from May 2024 to October 2025, with some facilities hit multiple times.
Under international law, targeting health facilities or staff is illegal, and the United Nations human‑rights chief Volker Türk described the findings as “deeply disturbing,” warning they may constitute war crimes.
“The RSF [were] trying to evacuate the hospitals, to put them out of service because the health system is the cornerstone of any city or any state,” said Dr Muhamed Suliman, a surgeon who lived through the siege.
He added, “The RSF started hitting these areas so citizens have no longer any way to stay there. It was intense. It was deliberate. It was planned.”
The toll on medical workers is stark: from April 2023 to October 2025, the BBC’s data show 120 injured, 55 killed, and 10 forcibly disappeared or abducted staff members.
The health minister of the civilian‑affiliated government slammed the BBC’s claims as propaganda, accusing the national army and its allies of a “deliberate attempt” to tarnish the RSF’s reputation.
Both sides of Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023, have faced accusations of attacks on health facilities, but the el‑Fasher case stands out as a clear and severe example of the conflict’s impact on health care, according to the World Health Organization.
In March 2026, the WHO condemned the bombing of al‑Daein hospital in RSF‑held eastern Darfur, a strike that killed dozens and forced the hospital to close, though the Sudanese military denied responsibility for the drone attacks.
El‑Fasher residents endured a prolonged siege with severely limited access to health services, highlighting the broader humanitarian crisis unfolding across Sudan.
These revelations add urgent pressure on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilian health infrastructure.
