News|ConflictSouth Sudan hospital hit by government air strike, MSF saysMedical NGO says targeted attacks have forced the closure of hospitals, while UN says 280,000 displaced in Jonglei state.
## Humanitarian Impact: South Sudan Conflict
Humanitarian Impact: South Sudan Conflict
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported that one of its hospitals in Lankien, Jonglei state, South Sudan, was hit by a government airstrike. This incident is the 10th attack on an MSF-run medical facility in South Sudan over the past year.
On Tuesday, the hospital in Lankien was evacuated, and patients were discharged prior to the attack due to intelligence regarding a potential strike. Despite these measures, one MSF staff member sustained minor injuries. The main warehouse was destroyed, resulting in the loss of most critical medical supplies.
In a related event, the MSF facility in Pieri, also in Jonglei, was looted by unidentified individuals, rendering it unusable for the local community. MSF staff from both locations have been displaced, and efforts to re-establish communication with them are ongoing.
In December, the South Sudanese government imposed restrictions on humanitarian access in opposition-held areas of Jonglei, impacting MSF's ability to provide essential medical services.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported that one of its hospitals in Lankien, Jonglei state, South Sudan, was hit by a government airstrike.
Gul Badshah, MSF’s operations manager in South Sudan, emphasized that the GPS coordinates of all MSF facilities had been shared with the government and other conflict parties. The South Sudanese armed forces are currently the only entity capable of conducting aerial attacks in the region.
The United Nations estimates that approximately 280,000 people have been displaced in Jonglei due to ongoing fighting and aerial bombardments. MSF is the sole healthcare provider for about 250,000 individuals in Lankien and Pieri, and attacks on its facilities severely impact local healthcare availability.
MSF has been operational in South Sudan for over forty years, but recent targeted attacks have led to the closure of two hospitals in the Greater Upper Nile and the suspension of healthcare activities in Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria states.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.
