Drone strike on Sudan hospital kills 10, medical charity MSF says

Lead

A drone attack on a hospital in Sudan's White Nile State killed at least 10 people, including seven medical staff, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The strike, which hit the operating theatre and maternity ward of Al-Jabalain Hospital on Thursday, also injured 19 people, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Hindu. MSF said the attack was "reportedly" carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), though this attribution has not been independently verified.

Coverage Comparison

The attack was reported by multiple outlets, with Al Jazeera and The Hindu providing detailed accounts of the incident. Both sources highlighted MSF's condemnation of the strike and its occurrence during a children's immunization campaign. AllAfrica, while not covering this specific attack, reported on the broader humanitarian crisis along the Sudan-Chad border, where MSF has been treating people fleeing violence. The reports agree on the core facts: the death toll, the number of injured, and the location of the hospital. However, the attribution of the attack to the RSF is described by MSF as "reportedly," and no outlet provided independent verification.

Key Claims

• At least 10 people were killed, including seven medical staff, in two drone strikes on Al-Jabalain Hospital in White Nile State, Sudan, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Hindu, citing MSF.
• The attack occurred during a children's immunization campaign, making it "even more appalling," per MSF's head of emergencies, Esperanza Santos, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
• Nineteen people were injured in the strikes and were transferred to a hospital in Kosti, about 80 kilometers away, according to MSF, as reported by The Hindu.
• The World Health Organization said in March that over 200 attacks have targeted healthcare facilities since the war began, with a recent strike on a hospital in Darfur killing 70 people, including at least 13 children, as noted by Al Jazeera and The Hindu.
• In a separate incident on Thursday, a medical supply depot in Rabak, the capital of White Nile State, was also hit, according to Emergency Lawyers, a local rights group, as reported by The Hindu.
• On the Chad border, MSF reported that since early February 2026, 457 people injured in attacks have been treated in Tine, Chad, with 38 deaths, including 19 in a single day on March 16, as detailed by AllAfrica.

Perspectives

The attack on Al-Jabalain Hospital is part of a worsening pattern of violence against healthcare in Sudan's ongoing civil war, which began in April 2023. MSF emphasized that the hospital was hit during a children's immunization campaign, underscoring the disregard for civilian life. The RSF has not commented on the allegations, and the lack of independent verification means the attribution remains uncertain. Meanwhile, the broader humanitarian crisis continues, with MSF reporting a significant influx of wounded civilians in Chad, many suffering from limb injuries and open fractures. The international community has expressed concern, but no official response has been detailed in the reports.

Corrections and Context

No corrections have been issued by the reporting outlets. The reports are based on MSF statements, and while the death toll is consistent across Al Jazeera and The Hindu, the injury count and some details (such as the exact number of children among the wounded in Chad) are single-source reports. The conflict has killed over 40,000 people according to UN figures, though aid groups suggest the real number is higher, as noted by The Hindu.