Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched two drone strikes on al-Jabalain Hospital in White Nile province on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 people, including seven medical staffers, and injuring at least 19 others, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) [1]. The strikes hit both an operating theater and a maternity ward, and those injured were transferred to a hospital in Kosti, approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) away [1]. Salah Moussa, a senior staffer in the nursing department at al-Jabalain Hospital, reported that the casualties included the hospital’s general manager, administrative manager, several policemen, and a citizen [1]. Moussa himself was injured during the second strike while assisting with evacuation efforts [1].
This attack is part of an intensifying drone warfare between the Sudanese army and RSF, which has severely impacted the country’s health care system since the conflict began in April 2023 [1]. The World Health Organization reported in March that over 200 attacks have targeted health care facilities since the war started, and a previous strike last month in Darfur killed 70 people, including at least 13 children [1]. The ongoing conflict has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths, according to U.N. figures, though aid groups believe the actual number may be higher [1]. MSF highlighted the severity of the attack, noting it occurred during a children’s immunization campaign [1].
Emergency Lawyers, a local rights group, stated that the attacks also targeted a medical supply depot in Rabak, the capital of White Nile province, and described a “recurring pattern” of drone attacks since March across multiple provinces, which has led to further displacement of civilians [1]. On Friday, Khalid Aleisir, Sudan’s minister of culture, information, antiquities, and tourism, condemned the attack, called for the RSF to be designated a terrorist organization, and urged prosecution of its members [1].
No market reactions or analyst opinions were discussed in the article [1].
CONCLUSION
The drone attack on al-Jabalain Hospital by Sudan’s RSF marks a significant escalation in violence, severely impacting the health care system and civilian safety. With ongoing attacks and rising casualties, the conflict continues to destabilize the region and displace populations. The event has high humanitarian and geopolitical implications, but no direct market reactions were reported.