What happened at Al Daein Teaching Hospital in Sudan?

An airstrike struck Al Daein Teaching Hospital in Sudan's eastern Darfur region during the week of March sixteenth through twenty-second, twenty twenty-six, killing at least sixty-four people including thirteen children. The hospital, which served as the primary healthcare facility for the region, was rendered completely non-functional by the attack. The strike destroyed critical medical infrastructure including operating rooms, maternity wards, and emergency departments, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in eastern Darfur without access to essential healthcare services.

How many people died in the Sudan hospital airstrike?

At least sixty-four people were confirmed killed in the airstrike on Al Daein Teaching Hospital, including thirteen children who were patients or visitors at the facility. The death toll was reported by local officials and humanitarian organizations on March twenty-third, twenty twenty-six. Additional casualties are feared as rescue workers continued to search through the rubble of the destroyed hospital. The number of wounded was also significant, though exact figures remained difficult to confirm due to the destruction of the hospital itself which would normally treat such casualties.

What is the Sudan civil war about?

The Sudan civil war began in April twenty twenty-three as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. The conflict erupted over disagreements about the integration of the RSF into the regular military as part of a planned transition to civilian rule. The war has since spread across the country, causing massive civilian displacement with over ten million people forced from their homes, widespread hunger, and systematic attacks on civilian infrastructure including hospitals and schools.

How has the international community responded to the Sudan crisis?

The international community's response to the Sudan crisis has been widely criticized as inadequate relative to the scale of suffering. The United Nations has called the situation in Sudan one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with over twenty-five million people in need of assistance. Multiple UN Security Council resolutions have been blocked or watered down. International aid organizations have struggled to access affected areas due to active fighting and bureaucratic restrictions imposed by both warring parties, leaving millions of civilians without food, medicine, and clean water.

What is the humanitarian situation in Darfur in 2026?

The humanitarian situation in Darfur in twenty twenty-six remains catastrophic, with the region experiencing what the United Nations has described as famine conditions in multiple areas. Eastern Darfur, where the Al Daein hospital attack occurred, has seen escalating violence targeting civilian infrastructure. Healthcare facilities have been systematically destroyed or rendered non-functional, with the Al Daein Teaching Hospital being the latest casualty. Displacement camps are overwhelmed, disease outbreaks including cholera and measles are spreading, and agricultural production has collapsed due to the ongoing fighting.

Geopolitics

Sudan 2026: Airstrike Kills 64 at Hospital, 13 Were Children

64 dead including 13 children after an airstrike hit Al Daein Hospital in Darfur in 2026. RSF denies responsibility as international pressure mounts.

Published: March 23, 2026

People killed

Including 13 children

Children

Youngest victims

Hospital destroyed

Last facility in the area

The Attack: What Happened

On March 23, 2026, an airstrike directly targeted Al Daein Teaching Hospital in eastern Darfur, Sudan. This was the last functioning medical facility in the area, serving over 500,000 residents. According to humanitarian sources, the attack occurred during the middle of the day when the hospital was crowded with patients.

At least 64 people were killed, including 13 children. The hospital was completely destroyed, rendering it unable to provide any medical care. Many of the victims were patients undergoing treatment and medical staff on duty.

“Attacking a hospital is an attack on humanity itself. No military objective can justify destroying the last medical facility serving half a million people.”

— Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), press statement

Devastation at Al Daein Hospital after the airstrike

Photo: UNICEF/Mohammed Jamal — Aftermath of the airstrike in eastern Darfur

Who Is Responsible?

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) denied responsibility and blamed the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The SAF likewise rejected the allegations. This is a familiar pattern throughout the civil war — both sides consistently deny responsibility for attacks on civilian infrastructure.

The United Nations strọngly condemned the attack and called it a “potential war crime,” demanding an independent investigation. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) also issued condemnatory statements.

International Humanitarian Law

Under the Geneva Conventions, hospitals and medical facilities are afforded special protection during armed conflict. Deliberate attacks on healthcare infrastructure constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Sudan Conflict Timeline

April 2023

Sudan civil war erupts between SAF and RSF

Armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in Khartoum and quickly spread nationwide, shattering a fragile power-sharing arrangement.

→ Millions of civilians forced to flee their homes within the first weeks of fighting.

June–August 2023

Ethnic attacks in West Darfur

RSF and allied militias carried out targeted attacks against Masalit communities in El Geneina. The UN launched investigations into potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.

→ Thousands killed, over 500,000 refugees fled across the border into Chad.

January–February 2026

Humanitarian catastrophe reaches breaking point

The UN warned that famine-like conditions threatened 25 million people. Humanitarian aid convoys were blocked in multiple regions. The healthcare system neared total collapse.

→ Only 20–30% of health facilities remained operational in conflict zones.

March 23, 2026

Al Daein Teaching Hospital airstrike — 64 killed

An airstrike struck Al Daein Teaching Hospital directly, the last functioning medical facility in eastern Darfur. At least 64 people were killed, including 13 children. The hospital was completely destroyed.

→ Over 500,000 residents of eastern Darfur left with zero access to medical care.

Humanitarian Crisis

The Sudan civil war, which began in April 2023, has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. More than 12 million people have been displaced, 25 million need emergency assistance, and over 5 million children face severe malnutrition, according to UNICEF data as of early March 2026.

12M+

People displaced

25M

Need humanitarian aid

5M+

Children severely malnourished

14K+

Estimated deaths

Eastern Darfur has become an epicenter of ethnic violence. Minority ethnic communities have been systematically targeted, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee across borders into Chad, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

→ With Al Daein Hospital destroyed, eastern Darfur residents now face journeys of hundreds of kilometers for basic medical care — a trip many cannot survive.

Sudanese children in a displacement camp

Photo: Avaaz — Displaced children at an eastern Darfur camp

International Response

The UN Secretary-General condemned the attack and called for an immediate ceasefire. The UN Security Council convened an emergency session to discuss the situation. The African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) also issued condemnatory statements.

United Nations: Demanded independent investigation, called it a “potential war crime”
MSF: Strọngly condemned the attack, called for protection of medical facilities
WHO: Warned Sudan’s healthcare system is on the verge of total collapse
UNICEF: Launched emergency appeal for $500 million for Sudan
US & EU: Threatened additional sanctions targeting both sides of the conflict

What Happens Next?

The prospects for peace in Sudan remain distant. Previous mediation efforts have all failed. The Al Daein hospital attack could become a turning point that pushes the international community toward greater pressure, but it may also become just another forgotten tragedy in a war that has dragged on for nearly three years.

Humanitarian organizations are calling for: (1) An immediate ceasefire, (2) Opening of humanitarian corridors, (3) An independent investigation into attacks on civilian infrastructure, (4) International sanctions targeting those obstructing aid delivery.

→ For every day without action, an estimated 500 more Sudanese die from violence, hunger, and disease. ZestLab analysis.

References

Al Jazeera — Sudan hospital airstrike kills dozens in eastern Darfur, March 2026
Reuters — Darfur conflict: UN demands war crimes investigation, March 2026
UNICEF — Sudan emergency response report: 5 million children malnourished, 2026
MSF / Médecins Sans Frontières — Press release on Al Daein Hospital attack, March 2026

Casualty figures may change as more information becomes available. Sources have been cross-verified across multiple international organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article was produced with respect for the victims and their families. All figures are sourced from reputable international organizations.

By An Hoang · International Affairs Correspondent

Published: March 23, 2026 · Updated: March 25, 2026

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geopolitics·Sudan airstrike · Al Daein hospital · Darfur conflict · RSF Sudan