As Ireland breaking news continues to draw attention to major international crises, a new investigation into Sudan has highlighted the devastating impact of war on healthcare. Evidence gathered from el-Fasher in Darfur indicates that hospitals, clinics and medical workers were repeatedly attacked during a lengthy siege, leaving civilians with almost no access to emergency treatment.
The findings come one year after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized el-Fasher, a key city in western Sudan. United Nations officials have described the reported destruction of civilian infrastructure as deeply disturbing, while warning that attacks on medical facilities may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Ireland Breaking News Focuses on Sudan Healthcare Crisis
According to the investigation, at least 43 attacks on hospitals and other healthcare locations were recorded between May 2024 and October 2025. Several facilities were struck more than once, including hospitals that had moved to new locations after earlier buildings became unsafe.
The attacks reportedly caused widespread damage and forced medical services to close. Data cited in the investigation indicates that between April 2023 and October 2025, 55 healthcare workers were killed, 120 were injured and 10 were forcibly disappeared or abducted.
Doctors who remained in the city described working through shelling, drone attacks, power cuts and shortages of essential supplies. At one point, the Saudi Maternity Hospital was reportedly the only functioning medical facility left in el-Fasher.
Hospitals operated under constant attack
South Hospital, which had taken over services after the closure of the Teaching Hospital, was shelled several times in May and June 2024. During one raid, staff reportedly fled over a rear wall while the hospital director was beaten and left for dead.
Medical workers later moved remaining equipment and patients to the Saudi Hospital. Doctors said the building was repeatedly hit by shelling and drones, sometimes many times in a single day. Staff responded by placing sandbags around the hospital, constructing makeshift underground shelters and establishing alternative operating areas.
Some operations were carried out in improvised settings, including during power cuts. One Caesarean section was reportedly performed using phone lights on the day the hospital was bombed, illustrating the extreme conditions facing patients and staff.
International law and competing claims
Hospitals and medical personnel are protected under international humanitarian law. However, that protection can be affected if a facility is used for military activity harmful to an opposing force. An RSF-affiliated health minister claimed that some hospitals had been used as military positions, but the investigation found no independent evidence supporting those allegations.
The RSF has rejected claims that it deliberately targeted healthcare facilities and dismissed the findings as politically motivated. Medical workers interviewed for the investigation, however, described a repeated pattern in which hospitals, relocated clinics and patient transport routes came under attack.
The World Health Organization has said the destruction of healthcare in el-Fasher represents one of the clearest examples of the wider effects of Sudan’s civil war on medical services. Both the RSF and Sudan’s military have been accused of attacks on health facilities in different parts of the country.
Medical workers describe fear and forced displacement
Doctors said ambulances were destroyed, forcing patients to be moved by donkey cart or on foot. In separate incidents described by medical staff, drones allegedly struck people transporting injured patients, causing further deaths.
The situation deteriorated further when RSF fighters stormed the Saudi Hospital in October 2025. Reports of a mass killing of patients and their companions were denied by the RSF, while the WHO condemned the alleged violence and satellite imagery appeared to show bodies in the hospital grounds.
Why the Sudan crisis matters beyond Africa
The collapse of healthcare in el-Fasher has consequences far beyond the city. When hospitals close, civilians lose access to surgery, maternity care, dialysis, trauma treatment and basic medicines. Medical professionals are also driven away, making recovery extremely difficult even after fighting ends.
The case has renewed international concern about the protection of hospitals in war zones. It also underlines the importance of independent investigations, evidence preservation and accountability for attacks against civilians and medical personnel.
For audiences following the latest Irish news, international conflicts such as Sudan’s remain central to global affairs coverage alongside Dublin news today, Cork news today and Galway breaking news. Readers tracking live updates Ireland can also monitor developments through reputable humanitarian and United Nations sources.
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Frequently asked questions
What happened to hospitals in el-Fasher?
Multiple hospitals and healthcare sites were reportedly shelled, bombed or raided during the siege of el-Fasher. Several facilities closed, relocated and were later attacked again.
Who has been accused of attacking healthcare facilities?
The RSF has been accused of systematically attacking healthcare facilities in el-Fasher, while Sudan’s military has also faced allegations of attacks on hospitals elsewhere. The parties have denied responsibility for specific incidents.
Why are attacks on hospitals potentially war crimes?
International humanitarian law protects medical facilities and workers during armed conflict. Deliberately attacking protected healthcare sites, or targeting patients and medical staff, may constitute a war crime.
Conclusion
The evidence from el-Fasher presents a stark picture of healthcare under siege, where doctors operated in darkness, patients were moved through dangerous streets and hospitals were repeatedly damaged. Ireland breaking news readers following the Sudan crisis should understand that protecting medical workers and civilian health facilities is a legal obligation, not an optional act of mercy. The clearest takeaway is that accountability and humanitarian access are essential to preventing further collapse in Sudan’s healthcare system.