October 29th, 2025 - Hundreds Killed in Sudanese Hospital Massacre, Warns W.H.O.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that over 450 people were massacred in the Sudanese city of El Fasher on Tuesday, at the last functioning hospital in the city. The deaths occurred just days after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) seized control of El Fasher, a key battleground in Darfur, forcing Sudanese troops stationed there to flee. Although the WHO did not specify who was responsible for the killings, the massacre took place in the wake of the R.S.F.'s recent gains.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director-general, expressed deep shock and horror at the killings, describing the deaths of more than 460 patients and companions at the Al Saudi hospital as a tragic event. He condemned the violence and emphasized the need for urgent attention to the crisis. Minni Minawi, the governor of Darfur and a key figure in Sudan's ongoing civil war, also confirmed the death toll and called on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key backer of the R.S.F., to disavow the group.

The WHO’s statement detailed the abduction of six health workers, including four doctors, a nurse, and a pharmacist, by the fighters. The organization confirmed the death toll through various sources, including witnesses, Sudanese officials, photos, videos, and local media. The WHO expressed its deep concern over the devastating impact the massacre had on an already struggling population.

The Al Saudi hospital had been the last refuge for civilians who were starving or injured in El Fasher. For over 18 months, the city had been under a brutal siege by the R.S.F., with nearly 260,000 people trapped as the paramilitary group intensified its assault. In recent months, the R.S.F. had constructed an earthen wall around the city, preventing food and medical supplies from entering, exacerbating the suffering of the civilian population.

Rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have accused R.S.F. fighters of shooting civilians as they attempted to flee the violence. However, the scale of this massacre represents the largest reported atrocity in El Fasher since Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023. Despite the scale of the killings, no direct response has been issued by the R.S.F. yet, and the situation continues to escalate with no signs of an immediate resolution.

The UAE, which has supported the R.S.F. in the past, has denied backing any of the warring factions in Sudan and condemned atrocities committed by both the R.S.F. and Sudan’s military. However, this latest massacre has intensified calls for international intervention and accountability in the face of the escalating violence in Sudan. As the situation deteriorates, the global community remains focused on how to address the crisis and bring an end to the atrocities committed against Sudanese civilians.

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster) - Deliquesce (verb, del-ih-KWESS) - Deliquesce can mean "to dissolve or melt away" or, in reference to some fungal structures (such as mushroom gills), "to become soft or liquid with age or maturity."

Example: The mushrooms deliquesced into an inky fluid.

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