KHARTOUM – At least 802 attacks affecting health care have been recorded across Sudan since fighting erupted in April 2023, with more than half attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to new data from Insecurity Insight.
The monitoring group said health facilities were damaged at least 229 times between the start of the war and Sept. 30, 2026, while 222 health workers were killed and 16 kidnapped.
The findings highlight the growing pressure on Sudan’s health system as fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF continues to disrupt hospitals, ambulance services and access to medical care across several regions.
Insecurity Insight said more than 55% of the recorded attacks were attributed to the RSF. Its figures are based largely on open-source monitoring and are continuously updated as new information becomes available.
The organization cautioned that the documented incidents do not represent a complete or representative record of all attacks affecting health care and that many cases have not been verified through investigations on the ground.
Health Workers Detained and Threatened
The report said at least 142 health workers were arrested or detained in 74 incidents across 14 states during the monitoring period.
Both the SAF and RSF were reported to have carried out arrests, often accusing medical personnel of supporting the opposing side.
Health workers were also subjected to beatings and threats, while five medical workers detained by the RSF were reportedly killed.
About 30% of detention incidents occurred while health workers were on duty in medical facilities or ambulances. Others were reported while staff were travelling to work, at home or elsewhere.
The findings add to concerns over the shrinking space for medical personnel to operate safely in a conflict that has already severely damaged Sudan’s health infrastructure and disrupted access to treatment.
Hospitals Hit in Blue Nile
The report documented several incidents during the first half of October, including attacks on health facilities in Blue Nile State.
On Oct. 11, Um Darfa Hospital in Wad Al-Mahi locality was reported struck and destroyed in an attack attributed to the RSF.
An unspecified number of people were reported killed and injured, while two health workers were wounded while performing their duties. The hospital was rendered out of service.
Separately, Medf’a Hospital in Damazin locality was reported hit and destroyed by a drone strike, killing three people inside the facility.
The source did not identify who carried out that attack.
Blue Nile has seen renewed fighting and displacement in recent months, increasing pressure on health facilities serving both local communities and newly displaced families.
Drone Threat Grows
The report also highlighted the growing role of armed drones in attacks affecting health care.
Data compiled by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition showed that drone strikes affecting health services rose sharply in 2025, increasing from three recorded incidents in 2024 to 24 in 2025.
More than three-quarters of armed drone incidents affecting health care in 2025 were linked to the RSF, with North Darfur and North Kordofan among the areas recording the highest numbers.
Drone warfare has expanded significantly during Sudan’s conflict, with attacks increasingly reported against military positions, infrastructure and populated areas far from traditional front lines.
The spread of such attacks has created additional risks for hospitals, ambulances and humanitarian facilities operating in areas already affected by shortages of medicines, staff and electricity.
Insecurity Insight said its database is updated regularly and warned that figures may change as additional information becomes available.
