A horrific attack on Al Mujlad Hospital in Sudan’s West Kordofan state has killed more than 40 people, including children and healthcare workers, in one of the deadliest assaults on medical facilities since the country’s civil war began last year. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the weekend strike, which occurred near active fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus strongly condemned the violence, calling it “another appalling attack on health in Sudan.” He stated that the strike resulted in civilian deaths, including six children and five medical workers, with dozens more injured. “We cannot say this louder: attacks on health must stop everywhere!” he wrote on social media, using the hashtag #NotATarget.

The full extent of the tragedy became clear as WHO Sudan later reported extensive damage to the hospital building itself. “Attacks on healthcare must not be tolerated and must end immediately,” the organization stressed. While initial reports from Sudanese human rights monitors had put the death toll at nine, the number climbed sharply as rescue workers uncovered more victims in the aftermath.

Local emergency lawyers accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of carrying out the strike using a drone, though neither side in the conflict has officially claimed responsibility. The attack fits a disturbing pattern of medical facilities coming under fire during the 14-month war. According to UN humanitarian officials, more than 80% of hospitals in conflict zones like Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan have either shut down or barely function due to damage, shortages, and staff fleeing for safety.

West Kordofan has seen particularly fierce fighting in recent months as both sides battle for control of key supply routes. The region witnessed similar devastation in February when an airstrike hit Kadugli in neighboring South Kordofan, killing numerous civilians. International law strictly prohibits attacks on hospitals and schools, with such actions potentially constituting war crimes.

The assault on Al Mujlad Hospital deepens what was already one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Over 10 million Sudanese have been displaced from their homes, with nearly the entire population in conflict areas needing urgent aid. Medical supplies, food, and clean water have become dangerously scarce as fighting blocks relief efforts.

“This is not just a tragedy, it’s a failure of humanity,” said one aid worker who requested anonymity for security reasons. “When hospitals become battlegrounds, the most vulnerable pay the price: mothers in labor, sick children, the elderly.”

The international community has repeatedly called for ceasefires and safe access for humanitarian workers, but with little result. As combat continues with no political solution in sight, civilians find themselves trapped between warring factions, their basic rights to healthcare and safety ignored.

For now, the survivors of the Al Mujlad attack join the growing number of Sudanese civilians bearing the war’s heaviest costs. With no functioning hospitals left in many areas, even treatable injuries and illnesses now often prove fatal. As one local resident put it: “First they took our homes. Now they’re taking our hospitals. What remains for us to lose?”

The answer, unfortunately, may become clear all too soon if attacks like this continue unchecked. With each passing day of violence, Sudan’s healthcare system and the lives depending on it, edges closer to complete collapse.