KHARTOUM – The Sudan Doctors Network accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Sunday of looting and vandalizing medical facilities in Jabra Al-Sheikh, alleging that the town’s main hospital was converted into a military operations headquarters during the group’s control of the area.
In a statement, the network said it had reviewed video footage recorded inside Jabra Al-Sheikh Hospital after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) recaptured the town. According to the network, the footage showed extensive damage to the facility, widespread looting of medical departments and evidence that the hospital had been used as a military base, leaving it completely out of service and depriving thousands of civilians of access to healthcare.
The RSF did not immediately respond to the allegations, which Sudan Now could not independently verify.
The network strongly condemned what it described as the targeting of healthcare facilities and their use for military purposes, saying that turning hospitals into military barracks or operational headquarters constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and endangers both patients and medical personnel.
The allegations emerged after the Sudanese military announced it had regained control of Jabra Al-Sheikh as part of a broader offensive in North Kordofan, during which it also reported recapturing Bara, Umm Sayala, Umm Garfa, Umm Dam Haj Ahmed and Al-Baraka, while reopening the strategic Export Road linking Omdurman and El Obeid.
Healthcare has been among the sectors hardest hit by Sudan’s conflict. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations have repeatedly warned that attacks on health facilities, shortages of medicines and the destruction of medical infrastructure have severely reduced access to essential healthcare across large parts of the country.
The Sudan Doctors Network called on the RSF to refrain from using healthcare facilities for military purposes, respect the neutrality of medical institutions and cease targeting or looting hospitals. It also urged authorities to protect healthcare facilities and personnel and to hold those responsible for the destruction of Jabra Al-Sheikh Hospital accountable.
The war between the SAF and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has displaced millions of people and left much of Sudan’s healthcare system struggling to function amid repeated attacks on hospitals and shortages of medical supplies.
