New York [US], January 28 : Following the attack on Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital in El Fasher, Sudan, which resulted in 70 deaths and 19 injuries, UNICEF on Tuesday said that at least one girl and three boys were reportedly killed and three boys injured.
The attack on the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher, in Sudan's North Darfur, took place on Friday.
"This heinous attack is a blatant violation of children's rights. Children are being killed and injured in the very places where they should be safest from harm," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "Such attacks exacerbate the dire situation for children and families who are trapped in areas affected by conflict, insecurity, and lack of protection," Russell added.
In a press statement, UNICEF further said that in Sudan, more than 70 per cent of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are currently non-operational due to damage, destruction, a lack of supplies, or from being used as shelters or for other purposes.
"The delivery of medical supplies, vaccines and routine immunization has been hindered by ongoing security concerns and lack of access, worsening the humanitarian crisis and putting countless lives, especially those of children, at significant risk," UNICEF said.
Earlier on Sunday, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the attack on the Saudi Hospital and called for an immediate cessation of attacks on healthcare.
Sharing a post on X, Ghebreyesus wrote, "The appalling attack on Saudi Hospital in El Fasher, #Sudan, led to 19 injuries and 70 deaths among patients and companions. At the time of the attack, the hospital was packed with patients receiving care. The attack comes at a time when access to health care is already severely constrained in the state due to the closure of health facilities following intense bombardments."
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry had also expressed condemnation and denunciation of the targeting of the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's condemnation and denunciation of the targeting of the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher, which resulted in the death and injury of several individuals, constituting a violation of international law and international humanitarian law."
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