The World Health Organization (WHO) has strongly denounced reports of a mass killing at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in el-Fasher, Sudan, where over 460 patients and their companions were reportedly murdered over the weekend.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep shock and outrage, calling the incident a tragic killing and demanding an immediate end to all attacks on healthcare facilities. He emphasised that patients, medical staff, and hospitals must be protected under international humanitarian law.
The massacre is believed to have been carried out by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who recently seized control of el-Fasher after an 18-month siege marked by starvation and relentless bombardment. The Sudan Doctors’ Network accused RSF fighters of executing everyone inside the hospital, including patients, their companions, and staff.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also voiced alarm, describing the situation in el-Fasher as one of “horrifying atrocities” and immense suffering. WHO has called for the immediate release of six abducted health workers, including four doctors, a nurse, and a pharmacist.
The European Union joined the condemnation, with foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas highlighting the ethnic targeting of civilians and the RSF’s brutal tactics. Meanwhile, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, defended the takeover, claiming it was a step toward national unity. He expressed regret for the suffering in el-Fasher but insisted the war was imposed on his forces. He also stated that investigators are now in the city and pledged accountability for any wrongdoing.
On Wednesday, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti and leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), declared in a speech on his Telegram channel that Sudan would be unified. He described the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher as a chance to foster national unity, stating it could be achieved “through peace or through war.”
Hemedti expressed regret for the devastation but claimed the conflict was imposed on his forces. He noted that investigators had arrived in the city and emphasized the importance of legal accountability, asserting that his troops are “peaceful people” committed to upholding the law.
