On Thursday, December 4, 2025, three consecutive drone strikes tore through the quiet town of Kalogi in South Kordofan, Sudan, turning a kindergarten, a hospital, and a crowd of rescuers into rubble. At least 79 civilians died—some reports say 114—with children making up nearly half the victims. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it a "horrifying violation" of international law. The World Health Organization confirmed the Kalogi Rural Hospital had been hit three times in under an hour. And the twist? No one claimed responsibility—yet everyone pointed fingers.
Who Did This? The Blame Game Begins
Essam al-Din al-Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, described the sequence with chilling precision: "First a kindergarten, then a hospital, and a third time as people tried to rescue the children." The South Kordofan state government and the Sudanese Doctors' Network immediately blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. The Sudanese army, aligned with the government, echoed the accusation, saying drones launched from RSF-controlled territory struck twice at the nursery.
But here’s the odd part: the RSF didn’t stay silent for long. On Friday, they countered by accusing the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of bombing a market in Darfur and hitting a fuel depot at the Adre border crossing with Chad. It’s a familiar pattern—each side blames the other for atrocities while denying their own role. No independent investigators have been allowed into Kalogi since the strikes.
The Numbers Don’t Lie—But They Don’t Tell the Whole Story
The official death toll varies wildly: South Kordofan’s initial report listed eight dead, mostly children and a teacher. By Sunday, it had climbed to 79 killed and 38 injured. The UN, citing hospital records and eyewitness accounts, put the number at 114—with 63 children among them. That’s more than a child lost every minute during the three strikes. Four women were confirmed among the dead. One nurse, speaking anonymously to AFP, said she saw "tiny shoes scattered in the rubble next to broken crayons."
What’s worse, this wasn’t an accident. The Sudanese Doctors' Network has documented over 500 attacks on healthcare facilities since the war began in April 2023. This was the deadliest single incident in South Kordofan. The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called it "a crime against humanity." And he’s not exaggerating. International humanitarian law forbids targeting hospitals, schools, and civilians—even in war.
Why Kalogi? Why Now?
Kalogi isn’t a strategic military target. It’s a rural town of fewer than 15,000 people, nestled between farmland and the border with South Sudan. But it sits in a contested zone. The RSF and SPLM-N have been tightening their grip on South Kordofan since late 2024, pushing out SAF forces and cutting off aid routes. The town had become a refuge for displaced families fleeing fighting in North Kordofan and Darfur. When the strikes came, many were seeking shelter inside the hospital—a place that had, until then, been marked as neutral.
"I’m sadly saying that we do see the same pattern of aggression that happened in El Fasher and North Darfur," said a BBC correspondent on the ground. "The RSF and al-Hilu’s faction are kind of having a significant siege into the cities of South Kordofan." The siege isn’t just military—it’s humanitarian. Food, water, medicine—all blocked. And now, the last safe place, the hospital, is gone.
The Human Toll Beyond the Headlines
Behind the numbers are names no one will ever know. A five-year-old girl who loved drawing suns. A midwife who delivered 12 babies the week before the attack. A teacher who kept a jar of candy for children who passed their tests. These aren’t statistics—they’re lives erased in seconds.
And the survivors? They’re not just grieving. They’re terrified. Parents now hide their children in basements, even during rainstorms. Schools have shut down. The few remaining clinics operate without electricity, anesthesia, or clean water. One doctor told a reporter, "We don’t treat wounds anymore. We just try to keep people from dying while they wait to die."
What’s Next? The World’s Silence
The United Nations called for an immediate investigation. The African Union urged restraint. The U.S. State Department issued a "strong condemnation." But no sanctions. No arms embargo. No peacekeepers. Not even a UN Security Council resolution—because Russia and China have blocked every attempt to act.
The war, which began on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, has now displaced over 10 million people—the largest internal displacement crisis on Earth. And still, the world watches.
What’s clear is this: if no one is held accountable for bombing children in a hospital, then the next target won’t be Kalogi. It’ll be somewhere else. And then somewhere else again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the death toll so inconsistent between reports?
The discrepancy comes from access limitations. The South Kordofan government could only count bodies recovered from the kindergarten and hospital initially. The UN included bodies pulled from rubble over the following days and counted missing children reported by families. Many bodies remain buried under collapsed structures. The UN’s higher figure—114—is considered more comprehensive by humanitarian groups.
Who is Abdelaziz al-Hilu, and why is he linked to the RSF?
Abdelaziz al-Hilu leads the SPLM-N faction that controls much of South Kordofan. Though historically aligned with southern separatists, he formed a tactical alliance with the RSF in 2024 to push out the Sudanese army from the region. The partnership is fragile and based on mutual interest, not ideology. Both sides share a history of human rights abuses, and this attack suggests their coordination has deepened.
Has the international community ever acted after similar attacks?
Rarely. In 2022, after a drone strike killed 15 children at a school in El Fasher, the UN condemned it—but took no action. The same happened after the bombing of a maternity ward in Port Sudan in 2024. Impunity has become the norm. Without a binding UN resolution or international tribunal, perpetrators operate without fear of consequences.
Can hospitals still be trusted as safe zones in Sudan?
No. Since April 2023, over 500 medical facilities have been attacked or damaged, according to the Sudanese Doctors’ Network. Even those marked with Red Cross symbols have been hit. The RSF and SAF both use drones and artillery in urban areas where civilians cluster. In practice, there are no safe zones left—only places where people are still hoping for protection.
What’s the current status of Kalogi after the attack?
Kalogi is effectively deserted. Survivors have fled to the nearby hills or across the border into South Sudan. The hospital is rubble. The kindergarten is gone. Local aid groups report no clean water, no food deliveries, and no electricity. With the rainy season approaching, disease outbreaks are expected. The town may never recover.
Is there any hope for justice?
Only if the international community acts. The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over crimes in Sudan, but it lacks the power to arrest suspects without cooperation from neighboring states. The UN Human Rights Council has opened a fact-finding mission, but it won’t reach South Kordofan until early 2026—if at all. Justice, for now, remains a distant hope.