In brief
A BBC investigation has mapped a systematic campaign of attacks on hospitals in Sudan’s el‑Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over a year. Between May 2024 and October 2025 the RSF bombed or shelled at least 43 medical sites, injuring 120 staff and killing 55, while 10 were abducted. UN human‑rights chief Volker Türk called the attacks deeply disturbing and potential war crimes. RSF and the allied RSF‑backed government have denied the allegations, insisting the strikes were defensive, while civilian‑affiliated doctors and international NGOs accuse the RSF of targeting civilians deliberately. The attacks highlight a broader pattern of deliberate targeting of health infrastructure in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
RSF Targeted Hospitals in El‑Fasher, BBC Finds
A BBC investigation has confirmed that Burhan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) systematically attacked hospitals in the city of el‑Fasher, West Darfur, during a protracted siege that began in March 2023.
Using records from on‑ground witnesses, the BBC mapped 43 separate strikes on medical facilities – from the main Teaching Hospital to small community clinics – between May 2024 and October 2025. Eighty‑five staff were killed, 55 wounded and 10 abducted, according to the BBC’s own data collection. International law forbids attacks on health sites, and UN human‑rights chief Volker Türk has called the incidents “deeply disturbing” and potentially war crimes.
RSF officials refute the claims, labeling them propaganda and insisting the hospital attacks were defensive. A RSF‑backed health minister stated the facilities were used as military bases. Independent doctors, however, reported that the RSF deliberately targeted non‑Arab civilians and medical workers, sometimes with precision‑guided drones.
The siege left the city’s health system virtually collapsed. Medical staff were forced to operate from makeshift bunkers, often under aerial bombardment. One doctor recounted that a hunting drone struck patients being transferred to a temporary ward, killing nine on the spot.
The situation remains volatile. While the RSF‑controlled government has reopened a few hospitals, hospitals continue to function under extreme risk. The BBC will keep reporting on the ongoing humanitarian crisis as part of its real‑time coverage of Sudan’s civil war.
