What happened

Two drone strikes hit Al Jabalain Hospital in White Nile State, Sudan on Thursday. The strikes targeted an operating theatre and a maternity ward.

At least 10 people were killed, including seven medical staff, some of whom had previously worked with Doctors Without Borders. Nineteen others were injured. The attack occurred during a children’s immunisation campaign.

Why it matters: Attacking a hospital during a child vaccination programme is a violation of international humanitarian law. There is no legitimate military justification for striking medical facilities treating children.

Who is responsible

The attack was reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces. The RSF denied responsibility.

In a separate attack the same day, a medical supply depot was hit in Rabak, the White Nile provincial capital.

MSF supplied fuel for four Ministry of Health ambulances to transfer surviving patients to Kosti, approximately 80 kilometres away. The hospital closure forces patients to travel over 160 kilometres to the next referral facility.

This is not an isolated incident

The World Health Organisation has documented over 200 attacks on healthcare facilities since Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023. Over 2,000 deaths have resulted from attacks on health facilities during the conflict.

The UN Human Rights Office reported over 500 civilians killed by drone strikes between 1 January and 15 March 2026 alone. A similar strike on a hospital in Darfur in March killed 70 people.

A UN Human Rights spokesperson stated the patterns “may amount to war crimes.”

The response

Sudan’s culture minister condemned the attack and called for the RSF to be designated a terrorist organisation, holding “regional backers” responsible for providing “advanced weaponry and unmanned aerial systems.”

The Sudan Doctors Network called it a “deliberate assault on health facilities and unarmed civilians.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killings and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. International calls for arms embargoes and accountability continue to go unheeded.