Our Colleagues Are Missing: Devastating Attacks on Women, Health Workers and Communities in Sudan

El Fasher, North Darfur

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and The Sudan Family Planning Association (SFPA) are deeply alarmed and saddened by targeted attacks in El Fasher, Sudan, where Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have caused devastating harm to civilians, humanitarian workers, and SFPA staff.

SFPA, a Member Association of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), reports that one staff member has been detained and nine others remain missing. One staff member previously reported missing has reached relative safety after walking for two days to Tawila. She is now receiving medical care for exhaustion and dehydration. The whereabouts of the remaining staff are still unknown, as communications and movement in El Fasher remain severely restricted.

“The silence is unbearable. Our colleagues are missing, clinics have been destroyed, and women are giving birth with no one to help them. The world cannot stay quiet while lives are being systematically erased.” said Elshafie Mohamed Ali, Executive Director of SFPA.

SFPA and IPPF strongly condemn the ongoing attacks on healthcare, including the assault on the Saudi Maternity Hospital, which SFPA had rehabilitated to provide essential maternal, newborn and reproductive health care. During the hospital attack, which killed more than 460 patients and their companions and led to the abduction of health workers, one SFPA staff member was present inside the facility but managed to escape.

“They are bombing the very places where life begins. Maternity wards have become killing grounds. Women are giving birth under fire, midwives are disappearing, and health workers are being attacked for saving lives. We cannot continue to let this go on.” said Dr. Hiba Ahmed Khalil Badr, Director of Emergency and Humanitarian Interventions, SFPA.

More than 260,000 people remain trapped in El Fasher with almost no access to food, clean water or medical care. Pregnant women and survivors of sexual and reproductive violence face life-threatening barriers to care.

“What is happening in El Fasher is a brutal assault on women, health workers, and the very essence of life itself. Our colleagues are risking everything to keep women and newborns alive, while hospitals are being turned into battlefields. This cannot be normalized. The Arab world and the international community must act now, not only with words of sympathy, but with decisive measures to protect civilians, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure that the right to health and safety is never again treated as a casualty of war,” said Dr. Fadoua Bakhadda, Regional Director, IPPF Arab World Region.

These attacks mark a dangerous escalation in violence against humanitarian and health facilities. They threaten not only those providing care but also the continuity of life-saving sexual and reproductive health services, including safe delivery, contraception, and emergency obstetric and newborn care. The deliberate targeting of health workers and maternity facilities is a violation of international humanitarian law and an assault on the right to health and dignity.

“This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a relentless pattern of attacks on women, on health workers, and on the right to care,” said Valerie Dourdin, Global Humanitarian Director, IPPF. “How much longer can we watch hospitals burn and call it outrage without action? The international community must act now to protect health workers, civilians, and defend the right to reproductive healthcare.”

We urgently call for:

• Immediate protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel in El Fasher.

• Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all conflict-affected areas.

• The release of detained and missing staff, and clarification on their situation.

• International action to halt these attacks and uphold international humanitarian and human rights law.

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About SFPA

The Sudan Family Planning- Association (SFPA) was established in 1965 by pioneers in obstetrics and gynaecology in response to rising maternal, neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity.

As a Member Association of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), SFPA has provided sexual and reproductive health services to millions of people affected by crisis across Sudan, including maternal healthcare, contraception, and essential care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Despite the direct targeting of their own infrastructure, including the destruction of nine SFPA clinics and the tragic loss of healthcare workers, SFPA has continued to deliver life-saving SRH services. In 2024 alone, they reached 13.2 million people, including 10.1 million in humanitarian settings, across 14 states through a network of static clinics, mobile teams, community distributors and digital platforms.

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About the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. We are a movement of Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in more than 140 countries.

Building on a proud history of over 70 years of achievement, we commit to lead a locally owned, globally connected civil society movement that provides and enables services and champions SRHR for all, especially the under-served.

We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights, and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect and dignity, no matter what.