Sudan’s Healthcare Under Fire: When Hospitals Become Battlegrounds in Africa’s Forgotten War
The targeting of medical facilities in Al-Ubayyid reveals how Sudan’s civil conflict has transformed from a power struggle into a humanitarian catastrophe that the international community seems determined to ignore.
A Nation Torn Apart
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), formerly allies who together overthrew Omar al-Bashir’s regime in 2019. What began as a power struggle between two military leaders—SAF chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti”—has evolved into a conflict that has displaced over 7 million people and killed thousands. The latest reports of attacks on healthcare facilities and residential areas in Al-Ubayyid, the capital of North Kordofan state, represent a disturbing escalation in tactics that violate international humanitarian law.
When Healing Spaces Become Targets
The systematic targeting of healthcare infrastructure in conflict zones represents one of the most insidious forms of warfare against civilian populations. In Al-Ubayyid, a city of approximately 400,000 people, the destruction of medical facilities doesn’t just represent collateral damage—it’s a death sentence for communities already struggling with limited resources. Sudan’s healthcare system, already fragile before the conflict, has seen over 70% of hospitals in conflict-affected areas cease functioning. Each damaged facility means pregnant women without prenatal care, diabetics without insulin, and injured civilians without trauma surgery.
The international response has been tepid at best. While the United Nations has condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure, concrete action remains elusive. The Security Council’s inability to agree on robust measures reflects a broader pattern of global indifference to African conflicts. Compare this to the swift international mobilization for Ukraine, and the double standard becomes stark. The message seems clear: some civilian lives matter more than others in the calculus of international intervention.
The Ripple Effects of Forgotten Wars
Sudan’s conflict carries implications far beyond its borders. The country sits at a critical juncture between sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, with the Nile River running through its heart. The breakdown of order has created opportunities for arms trafficking, extremist groups, and regional proxy conflicts. Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and others have stakes in the outcome, turning Sudan into a chessboard for regional ambitions. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis threatens to destabilize neighboring Chad, South Sudan, and Ethiopia—countries already grappling with their own challenges.
The targeting of civilian infrastructure like hospitals also sets a dangerous precedent. When such violations go unpunished, they become normalized tactics in future conflicts. The erosion of international humanitarian law in Sudan today could shape how wars are fought across Africa tomorrow. This is particularly concerning given the continent’s youth bulge and climate pressures that are likely to fuel future resource conflicts.
As the world’s attention remains fixed on other crises, Sudan bleeds in silence. The attack on Al-Ubayyid’s medical facilities is not just another incident in a distant war—it’s a test of whether the international community’s commitment to protecting civilians is universal or selective. If hospitals can be bombed with impunity in Sudan, what does that say about our collective humanity?
