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South Sudan: MSF suspends medical activities in Yei, Central Equatoria State, following attack on staff

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has suspended all its outreach activities in Yei, in Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, until further notice, following a critical security incident involving MSF staff and staff from a partner organization on Friday, Sep. 20, 2024.

MSF strongly condemns this attack against health workers in an area where people already face difficulty accessing healthcare. 

“We are deeply shocked by this unacceptable attack on the provision of neutral and impartial humanitarian assistance for communities in need,” says Iqbal Huda (Tidal), MSF Country Director in South Sudan. “As a result of the attack, our outreach movements and activities to communities surrounding Yei & Morobo have been suspended until we can have concrete guarantees that medical, humanitarian services and lifesaving work can continue unhindered in the area.”

At approximately 3 pm on Friday, two clearly marked MSF vehicles were coming back to the town of Yei from an outreach activity, when along the road unknown armed men forced our staff to disembark from their vehicles at gunpoint, while looting MSF and personal belongings. The armed men then forcibly took an MSF staff and one staff of a partner organisation, to the bush, while letting the two remaining MSF staff the drivers to proceed with their vehicles.

While the two abducted staff were safely released 24 hours later, this is the third attack on humanitarian organisations occurring around Yei in 3 months pointing to a systematic attack on the provision of humanitarian aid. Until the safety of MSF operations and staff is assured, MSF cannot guarantee resumption of activities in the area.

The real victims of these incidents are the most vulnerable people living in underserved areas where MSF is the only provider of healthcare services in this area outside of Yei town.

“Attacks against humanitarians and healthcare workers are unacceptable and they directly affect the provision of healthcare for communities who desperately need it. We call on all armed groups to uphold their responsibilities under international humanitarian law and respect the provision of humanitarian assistance,” concludes Huda.