GENEVA, Switzerland — The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stern condemnation of devastating aerial strikes that targeted a kindergarten and hospital in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, resulting in massive civilian casualties. According to verified reports, the attacks last Thursday claimed 114 lives, including 63 children, with an additional 35 individuals sustaining injuries.
The assault occurred in the army-controlled town of Kalogi, where paramilitary forces conducted multiple drone strikes. Local administrator Essam al-Din al-Sayed described the horrific sequence of events to AFP: initial explosions hit a kindergarten, followed by strikes on Kalogi Rural Hospital, and finally a third attack as rescue efforts were underway to save trapped children.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, citing the UN agency’s Attacks on Health Care monitoring system, revealed disturbing details of the incident. Emergency responders faced additional violence while attempting to transport injured children to medical facilities. Survivors have been relocated to Abu Jebaiha Hospital for treatment, with urgent appeals circulating for blood donations and medical supplies.
This tragedy unfolds against the backdrop of Sudan’s devastating conflict, which has raged since April 2023 between the national army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The violence has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced nearly 12 million people. The RSF’s recent eastward push into the oil-rich Kordofan region following their October capture of El-Fasher has intensified hostilities.
The WHO documented that the attacks occurred between 6:00 am and noon, involving heavy weapons that damaged healthcare infrastructure and deliberately obstructed medical assistance. The organization’s incident report specifically notes psychological violence and intimidation tactics against healthcare workers.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed profound dismay through spokesman Stephane Dujarric, urging influential nations to leverage their positions to halt combat operations and stem weapons flows fueling the conflict. The WHO has recorded 63 separate attacks on healthcare facilities in Sudan this year alone, resulting in 1,611 fatalities and 259 injuries across 52 personnel incidents, 45 facility impacts, and 32 patient-directed assaults.
While the WHO verifies and documents attacks on medical infrastructure, the organization emphasizes it does not assign blame as it lacks investigative authority. The international health agency continues to demand immediate ceasefire implementation and expanded humanitarian access to address what it describes as entirely preventable suffering among the Sudanese population.
