The Sudanese Army has regained control of Jabrat al-Sheikh in North Kordofan, where a local hospital was destroyed and looted [1].
The devastation of the facility removes a critical healthcare resource from a region already struggling under the weight of ongoing national conflict. The loss of medical infrastructure often leads to a total collapse of emergency services for civilians in rural provinces.
The Sudan Doctors Network said it reviewed video footage from inside the Jabrat al-Sheikh hospital following the military's return to the city [1]. The footage shows the extent of the damage inflicted on the facility [1].
According to the Sudan Doctors Network, the footage documents the looting and vandalism of various hospital departments [1]. The network said the facility was converted into a headquarters for military operations during the period it was under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) [1].
This pattern of military occupation in medical zones has been reported across several Sudanese states. The use of hospitals as tactical bases typically exposes the buildings to direct artillery fire and removes the protection afforded to medical sites under international law [1].
Local health officials have not yet provided a full inventory of the stolen equipment or the total cost of the structural damage. The Sudanese Army did not provide a statement regarding the current operational status of the facility or plans for its restoration [1].
“The footage shows the extent of the damage inflicted on the facility.”
The conversion of medical facilities into military headquarters by the RSF and the subsequent combat damage during Army recovery operations underscores the erosion of 'protected status' for healthcare in Sudan. When hospitals are used for military purposes, they lose their neutrality, which typically results in the permanent loss of specialized equipment and the displacement of medical staff, leaving the civilian population without access to life-saving care long after the fighting stops.
