A heartbreaking report from Cairo has shaken the entire world. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the situation in Sudan’s Darfur region, revealing that more than 460 people were killed inside a major maternity hospital in the western city of Al-Fashar.

According to the WHO, the horrific incident occurred when Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, took control of the city. Tedros said, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by these reports. This is a crime against humanity.”

Paramilitary Takeover Turns City into a War Zone

The RSF has reportedly killed at least 2,000 people over the past three days as civilians tried to flee the besieged city, the Sudan Doctors Network said on Wednesday. The group, which monitors the civil war, described the situation as “a true genocide.”

Al-Fashar, a key city in northern Darfur, had been under military siege for over 500 days. This is the same region where Sudan’s army and the RSF have been locked in a brutal civil war since April 2023. The RSF, led by former general Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemetti), rebelled against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The capture of Al-Fashar is seen as a major turning point in the war, as it was the army’s last major stronghold in Darfur.

Women and Children Among the Dead

According to WHO’s report, the attacked Saudi Maternity Hospital was one of the main medical centers for women and children. The hospital building suffered severe damage, and medical services have completely collapsed. Most of the victims were patients, pregnant women, and their family members. WHO described the attack as part of a “series of war crimes” and strongly condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians.

According to reports, the Sudan Doctors Network described the latest escalation as “a true genocide.” They said, “The massacres the world is witnessing today are an extension of what occurred in el-Fasher more than a year and a half ago, when over 14,000 civilians were killed through bombing, starvation, and extrajudicial executions”. It added that the attacks form part of a “deliberate and systematic campaign of killing and extermination.”

Fear of Disease Outbreak Grow

The WHO warned that without immediate humanitarian aid, the region could face a massive disease outbreak. According to UN data, more than 25 million people have been affected by hunger and disease since the conflict began in 2023. Darfur, which has been unstable since the 2003 civil war, has once again turned into an epicenter of bloodshed.

“The scale is immense, from the earthen berm, the wall that now surrounds el-Fasher, to specific neighbourhoods, such as Daraja Oula, to hospitals and humanitarian facilities. We are seeing objects that measure between 1.5 to 2 metres [5 to 6.5 feet], which is the standard length of a human body, lying horizontal, as seen in satellite imagery at high resolution,” Nathaniel Raymond, HRL’s executive director, told Al Jazeera.

Global Condemnation and Demand for Investigation

Following the massacre, the United Nations, United States, European Union, and African Union all issued strong condemnations. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 1,850 civilians have been killed in North Darfur alone this year, including 1,350 deaths between January and October 2025. The International Criminal Court (ICC) had previously charged Sudanese leaders with war crimes, and there are now growing calls for an independent investigation into this latest atrocity.

Sudan Government Denies, But Evidence Grows

The Sudanese government has denied WHO’s claims, alleging that international agencies are “spreading misinformation.” However, independent reports and satellite imagery are contradicting this denial. Experts warn that if cities like Al-Fashar continue to fall, millions of Darfur’s civilians could be in grave danger.

A Nation on the Brink

The ongoing civil war in Sudan began in April 2023, as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Once allies, the two turned into bitter enemies after RSF leader Hemetti rebelled against General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the army. The RSF demanded equal status within the military and a share in governance, demands the army rejected, igniting a full-scale war.

The conflict has devastated regions like Darfur and Khartoum, turning homes, schools, and hospitals into battlegrounds. The attack on the Saudi Maternity Hospital, killing more than 460 innocent people, mostly women and children, has been condemned by WHO as a crime against humanity. With over 25 million people displaced, starving, or sick, the UN warns that if the war continues, it could destabilize not just Sudan but the entire African continent.

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