Global Healthcare Attacks Surpass 17,500 in Decade as Sudan Remains Conflict Hotspot
More than 17,500 attacks on healthcare facilities, workers and services have been recorded worldwide over the past decade, highlighting a growing disregard for medical neutrality in conflict zones, according to a new report by Insecurity Insight.
The report, Still Under Attack, examines violence against healthcare between 2016 and 2025 following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2286, which calls for the protection of medical personnel and facilities during armed conflict.
According to the report, at least 3,860 healthcare workers were killed and more than 2,500 arrested or detained during the period. Local healthcare workers accounted for more than 65 percent of all victims, underscoring the disproportionate impact on national medical staff serving in conflict-affected communities.
Researchers warned that the increasing use of armed drones, explosive weapons and the militarization of health facilities is accelerating attacks on hospitals and clinics, undermining access to essential healthcare services.
Sudan remains one of the countries most affected by violence against healthcare despite a decline in the total number of reported incidents in 2025.
The report documented 134 attacks on healthcare in Sudan in 2025, down from 274 in 2024 and 280 in 2023. However, researchers said the decline reflected shifting territorial control rather than an improvement in security.
Violence intensified in North, South and West Kordofan states, where incidents reportedly quadrupled, while attacks continued across parts of the Darfur region.
In 2025 alone, 40 health facilities were damaged or destroyed, 54 healthcare workers were killed and 47 others were arrested. More than 75 percent of the attacks targeted local healthcare providers.
The report attributed over 80 percent of the documented incidents in 2025 to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while also citing the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), communal militias in Darfur, the Joint Forces of Armed Struggle Movements (JFASM) and factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM/A-North) as parties involved in attacks affecting healthcare.
The report also referenced field reports from July 2026 indicating damage to hospitals in Kurmuk, Blue Nile State, and Khazan Orshi in North Darfur during ongoing military operations.
To address the worsening crisis, healthcare experts, humanitarian organizations and human rights advocates are expected to gather at the Global Health Conference 2026 in Berlin on September 12. The meeting will focus on protecting healthcare services in conflict zones, with participants from Sudan, Ukraine and Lebanon expected to share frontline experiences.
Insecurity Insight called for stronger international action to safeguard healthcare workers and medical facilities, warning that continued attacks threaten millions of civilians who rely on lifesaving health services in conflict-affected countries.
