Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) suspends activities in two South Sudan counties after second abduction

 

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has suspended all operational activities in Yei River and Morobo counties in Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, for a minimum of six weeks following the abduction of an MSF staff member. The abduction occurred just four days after the abduction of a staff member from the Ministry of Health from an MSF ambulance on the same road and location. Our colleague was released some hours later.

The incident occurred during an evacuation of MSF staff from Morobo to Yei, in southern South Sudan, amid deteriorating security conditions. The four-vehicle convoy was stopped by armed gunmen. They ordered the MSF staff member, who was serving as the team leader of the convoy, out of the vehicle and pulled him into the thickets, while allowing the other vehicles and staff to proceed to Yei.

“We are outraged by this targeted attack. Attacks on humanitarian workers serving the most vulnerable members of the society must stop,” says Dr Ferdinand Atte, MSF head of mission in South Sudan. “While we are deeply committed to providing care to those in need, we cannot keep our staff working in an unsafe environment.”

These abductions are part of a disturbing trend of targeted violence on healthcare and aid workers in Morobo and Yei counties. In just three months, several incidents of violence targeting aid workers and healthcare facilities have been reported in Morobo, including forceful abductions, arson, violent looting of hospitals, and damage to medical infrastructure. Seven of these incidents involved the abduction of aid workers. 

“We demand accountability and concrete guarantees from the authorities and all parties involved in the conflict, including armed groups in Morobo and Yei River counties,” says Dr Atte. “It is crucial to ensure safe and unobstructed access to populations in need, and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including healthcare workers, patients, and medical facilities, before we can consider resuming our activities.”

The residents of Yei River and Morobo counties live in remote and hard-to-reach areas, frequently cut off from essential services due to limited infrastructure and armed conflict. As a result, they rely heavily on humanitarian organisations like MSF for essential services. 

This marks the second time MSF has been compelled to reduce our provision of medical services in the area in less than three months. In May, we were forced to reduce activities due to escalating insecurity in the area. We also suspended all activities in camps for internally displaced people due to the relentless violence in Morobo county.

Today, we have had to take the difficult decision to suspend all activities in both counties, until further notice, adding to the growing number of projects and health facilities we have had to close this year as a result of attacks.

“MSF is one of the few medical organisations providing support to various healthcare facilities in this area,” says Dr Atte. “When such attacks occur, it is the local people who suffer the most, as it severely undermines their access to essential healthcare.”  

In Yei River and Morobo counties, MSF provides general healthcare services by supporting four Ministry of Health facilities, offering outpatient consultations, routine vaccinations, and maternal and child healthcare. MSF also conducts mobile clinics and supports community-based healthcare through the Boma Health Initiative programme in the area. Between January and June 2025, our teams conducted 14,500 outpatient consultations, 1,192 antenatal consultations, and assisted in 438 births in this area.

Since the start of the year, MSF has witnessed a worrying increase in attacks targeting healthcare workers and facilities in South Sudan:

·    In January, two clearly marked MSF boats travelling from Nasir to Ulang in Upper Nile state came under attack when unidentified gunmen opened fire, forcing the MSF staff aboard to jump into the river and swim to safety in a nearby village. One staff member sustained an injury while escaping the attack and had to receive medical treatment. 

·    On 14 April, MSF’s hospital in Ulang was violently looted by armed men in broad daylight, destroying property and threatening patients and staff. This attack led to the full closure of all hospital and outreach activities. Ulang hospital was the only functioning hospital in the county, and these events have led to devastating consequences for the population, leaving more than 150,000 people without access to life-saving medical care. 

·    On 3 May, the MSF hospital in Old Fangak, Jonglei state, was bombed by two gunship helicopters, destroying the pharmacy and vital medical resources, rendering provision of medical care in the facility impossible. The helicopters also fired on the community, killing at least seven people and injuring 27. A total of four MSF staff were among the wounded.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).