Sudan: 22 killed, including medical staff, in shelling of hospital in South Kordofan

At least 22 people, including four medical workers, were killed when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled Al-Kuweik Hospital in South Kordofan state, Sudan Doctors Network said on Thursday.

The network said eight other people were injured in the attack.

Those killed included the medical director of Al-Kuweik Military Hospital and three members of the hospital’s medical staff. It added that the shelling caused heavy loss of life and serious damage to the health facility.

Al- Kuweik Hospital is the third health facility to be targeted in South Kordofan in less than 72 hours. Around 50 per cent of medical facilities in the state are now out of service because of shelling and siege, according to the network.

Sudan Doctors Network condemned the targeting of health facilities and medical staff, describing it as a war crime and a clear violation of international humanitarian law and international agreements that protect civilians and medical facilities during armed conflicts.

The network said the attack was not an isolated incident but part of a series of assaults in South Kordofan that have forced several hospitals to shut down. It warned that this is worsening the humanitarian crisis and threatening the remaining health services available to civilians in the state.

Sudan Doctors Network held the Rapid Support Forces fully responsible for the attack and called on the international community, UN agencies and human rights organisations to take urgent action to stop repeated attacks on health facilities and to ensure the protection of medical staff and civilians in line with international humanitarian law.