Khartoum, Sudan – October 14, 2025

After a week on the deadly attack that hit Sudan and left at least 20 people dead and dozens injured, The relentless civil conflict in Sudan has spiralled into a horrific new dimension, with a targeted assaults on a mosque and a hospital in El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur. The latest violence to rock the region underscores the flagrant disregard for civilian life and international humanitarian law by warring factions, leaving the city’s remaining population “trapped, terrified, and cut off from aid,” according to UN officials. The Sudan Attacks have been strongly condemned by international bodies, with evidence pointing toward the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) being responsible for the latest atrocities.

The attacks, which reportedly took place on a Tuesday and Wednesday the past week, struck the Saudi Hospital—the last major functioning healthcare facility in North Darfur—and a local mosque where displaced families had sought desperate refuge from the fighting. The latest surge in violence is part of a broader, brutal offensive by the RSF to capture El Fasher, the last stronghold in Darfur not fully under their control.

Targeted Attacks on Sanctuaries of Safety

The attacks on essential civilian infrastructure—a clear violation of international law—have crippled the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in the city, which has been under siege for over a year. The latest casualties come amid a wider period of bloodshed that saw at least 53 civilians killed and more than 60 injured by the RSF in El Fasher between October 5 and 8 alone.

Headline Points

 * Civilian Toll: At least 20 civilians were killed in two attacks targeting the Saudi Hospital and a nearby mosque in El Fasher.

 * Maternity Ward Hit: The attack on the hospital specifically targeted the maternity ward, killing 12 people including patients and health workers, in what marked the third attack on the facility in one week.

 * Perpetrator Alleged: The UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) reported that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are allegedly responsible for opening fire on the civilian sites.

 * Humanitarian Catastrophe: El Fasher remains under a siege that has lasted over 500 days, with hundreds of thousands of civilians now cut off from food, water, and medical care.

 * War Crime Condemnation: The UN has unequivocally condemned the targeting of hospitals and places of worship, stressing that such actions are never acceptable and constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.

 * Ethnic Motivation Concerns: Broader RSF ground attacks in the area have reportedly included summary executions, with initial information suggesting these killings may have been ethnically motivated.

The UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, reported the particularly devastating impact on healthcare, noting that the Tuesday attack targeted the maternity ward of the Saudi Hospital, resulting in the deaths of 12 people, including patients and health workers. The repeated targeting of the facility, which had already been operating at a reduced capacity, has pushed the city’s last medical lifeline to the brink of collapse.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Under Siege

El Fasher, which serves as a sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs), is facing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. The RSF has relentlessly intensified its artillery shelling and drone attacks in recent months, tightening a grip that has choked off crucial aid routes. The UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric lamented that the people in El Fasher are “trapped, terrified and cut off from aid, and their last lifeline for medical care is under threat.”

The ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has placed Darfur at the epicentre of a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over 14 million nationwide. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has condemned the RSF’s continued disregard for international law, noting that they “continue instead to kill, injure, and displace civilians, and to attack civilian objects, including IDP shelters, hospitals and mosques, with total disregard for international law. This must end.”

Aid organisations warn that the disruption of supply routes and the denial of humanitarian access have made sustained relief efforts virtually impossible. As the humanitarian crisis deepens—with areas of North Darfur experiencing famine and severe acute malnutrition among children spiking—the international community faces mounting pressure to enforce a cessation of hostilities and protect the hundreds of thousands of civilians still trapped inside the besieged city. The tragic loss of life in these attacks on facilities meant to offer safety and care serves as a stark reminder of the escalating violence and the urgent need for global intervention. The deliberate targeting of the sick and the displaced represents a dark nadir in Sudan’s devastating war.