A BBC investigation has documented systematic attacks on healthcare facilities in el-Fasher, a city in Darfur, by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary group. The inquiry identified at least 43 separate attacks on hospitals and medical sites during the period from May 2024 to October 2025, with some facilities targeted multiple times. UN human rights officials characterized the findings as deeply concerning, stating that the attacks on civilian infrastructure represent serious violations of international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes. The RSF has disputed the investigation’s conclusions, with the paramilitary group’s affiliated civilian government dismissing the allegations as propaganda and attributing them to efforts by the national army to damage the RSF’s reputation.
The investigation also documented the personal toll on medical personnel working in el-Fasher. Between April 2023 and October 2025, data compiled by BBC researchers indicates that 120 healthcare workers were injured, 55 were killed, and 10 were forcibly disappeared or abducted. Medical professionals who worked in the city during the siege described the attacks as deliberate and coordinated, with one surgeon noting that the targeting appeared designed to eliminate the healthcare system and force residents to abandon the city. The attacks on medical facilities occurred during a broader civil conflict that began in April 2023 between the RSF and Sudan’s military, with both sides facing accusations of assaults on health infrastructure.
The targeting of el-Fasher’s healthcare system represents what international health organizations have characterized as one of the most severe examples of the conflict’s impact on medical services in Sudan. The South Hospital, which served as the primary medical facility after the main Teaching Hospital ceased operations early in the conflict, sustained multiple strikes as RSF forces advanced on the city. Staff members reported that the hospital was struck while conducting surgical procedures on numerous patients. An RSF assault on the facility in June resulted in property destruction, patient casualties, and subsequent closure of the hospital.
Disputes over the hospital’s status during the conflict have emerged. The RSF’s health minister contended that the South Hospital functioned as a military installation with weapons positioned on its grounds, which under international law could affect the facility’s protected status. However, doctors and regional officials have rejected these claims, and independent verification of the allegations has not been established. Following the hospital’s closure, remaining medical operations were relocated to other facilities in the city.
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