Aid Workers Unaccounted For After Airstrikes Hit MSF Hospital In South Sudan

An undetermined number of aid workers remain missing after airstrikes struck a hospital in South Sudan’s Jonglei state, close to the Ethiopian border, according to the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

MSF said the hospital, which it operates in Jonglei, “was hit in an air strike by the government of South Sudan forces during the night on Tuesday.” As of now, the South Sudanese government has not issued an official response to the allegation.

On the same day, MSF reported a separate incident in which its health facility in Pieri, also in Jonglei state, was looted by unidentified attackers. The organisation said the attack rendered the facility “unusable for the local community.”

“Our colleagues had to flee with the community and their fate and whereabouts are still unknown,” MSF stated.

Escalating Violence in Jonglei

The incidents come amid renewed fighting in Jonglei between government forces and fighters loyal to First Vice-President Riek Machar, who has been suspended after being accused of attempting to overthrow President Salva Kiir. The surge in violence has raised fears that South Sudan could slide back into a full-scale civil war.

Jonglei is among the country’s most food-insecure regions and faces acute health challenges. According to the United Nations, fighting and aerial bombardments since December have displaced an estimated 280,000 people in the area.

Hospital Evacuated Before Strike

MSF said it had received advance warnings of a possible attack in the Lankien area, prompting the evacuation of the hospital and the discharge of patients hours before the airstrike.

“One staff member was injured, and the hospital’s main warehouse was destroyed along with medical supplies,” the organisation said.

Lankien has been a focal point of intensified clashes in recent weeks. MSF added: “The hospital’s main warehouse was destroyed during the attack, and we lost most of our critical supplies for providing medical care.”

While responsibility for the strike has not been formally established, MSF said: “The government of South Sudan armed forces are the only armed party with the capacity to perform aerial attacks in the country.”

Healthcare Access at Risk

MSF warned that it is the only healthcare provider for approximately 250,000 people in Lankien and Pieri. The attacks, it said, mean that “local communities will be left without any healthcare.”

“While we are aware of the enormous needs in the country, we find it unacceptable to be a target for attacks,” said Gul Badshah, MSF’s operations manager.

The charity revealed that it faced eight targeted attacks in South Sudan last year alone. These incidents forced the closure of two hospitals in Greater Upper Nile and led to the suspension of general healthcare services in Jonglei, Upper Nile and Central Equatoria states.

Ongoing Humanitarian Constraints

In December, the South Sudanese government imposed restrictions on humanitarian access to opposition-held areas of Jonglei, further limiting MSF’s ability to deliver essential medical care.

South Sudan descended into conflict in 2013, just two years after gaining independence, following a power struggle between Kiir and Machar. Although a 2018 peace deal ended the civil war that claimed nearly 400,000 lives, it was never fully implemented. Tensions between the two leaders have since worsened amid ethnic divisions and recurring violence.

Machar is currently standing trial on charges including murder, treason and crimes against humanity, allegations he has denied.