Sudan: Artillery Strike on Hospital Disrupts Water Access for 1,000 Patients in El-Fasher
KHARTOUM – A water tanker serving a hospital in Sudan’s Darfur region was destroyed by artillery fire on Tuesday, disrupting access to clean drinking water for around 1,000 seriously ill patients, UNICEF reported on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, which is currently under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In a statement, UNICEF said, “Yesterday, a UNICEF-supported water tanker at the Saudi Hospital in El-Fasher was destroyed by artillery fire, cutting off access to safe drinking water for approximately 1,000 critically ill patients.”
UNICEF urgently called on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to end all attacks targeting or taking place near essential civilian infrastructure.
The Saudi Hospital is one of the few remaining operational medical facilities in El-Fasher, a city of roughly two million residents. According to an April report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), between 70% and 80% of health facilities in areas affected by the conflict between the army and RSF are out of service, citing El-Fasher as a “striking example.”
Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, thousands have been killed and more than 13 million people—mostly women and children—have been displaced, according to the United Nations.
