MSF Warns of Rising Attacks on Healthcare Infrastructure in South Sudan

On April 19, 2026, Médecins Sans Frontières project coordinator Lucy Lau warned that attacks on healthcare facilities in conflict zones like South Sudan are part of a growing global trend, citing the February 3 airstrike on MSF’s hospital in Lankien that destroyed critical supplies and forced the evacuation of medical staff despite the facility’s clearly marked red roof.

The strike, which MSF attributes to South Sudanese government forces, occurred in Jonglei state—a region where political instability has persisted since the 2013 civil war, despite a 2018 peace agreement. Lau, who has worked with MSF since 2011 across conflict zones including Ukraine and Afghanistan, described the assault as tactical, targeting the hospital’s main warehouse and eliminating essential medical supplies. She noted that prior to the strike, MSF had received intelligence about a possible attack and evacuated staff, though one worker was injured. The incident forced the team to conclude their six-month mission prematurely and flee the country.

Lankien remains an opposition stronghold in a country where armed conflict continues between government troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebel forces aligned with former vice president Riek Machar. According to UN data cited by MSF, the renewed conflict in 2025 resulted in 2,000 deaths and displaced 320,000 people. MSF reported eight targeted attacks on its facilities in 2025 alone, leading to the closure of two hospitals and suspension of services in Upper Nile, Jonglei and Central Equatoria states. In May 2025, a separate airstrike on an MSF hospital in Old Fangak—also in Jonglei—was deemed by a UN commission to potentially constitute a war crime.

Beyond physical destruction, Lau emphasized that these attacks are part of a deliberate strategy to undermine healthcare in areas controlled by political opponents, disregarding civilian impact. “It feels like a growing trend worldwide,” she stated, noting an increasing willingness in recent years to target civilian infrastructure and aid organizations during armed conflicts, which complicates humanitarian delivery.

The Lankien hospital had provided critical services including treatment for pediatric malnutrition, maternity care, and infectious diseases such as cholera, tuberculosis, and HIV—conditions exacerbated by the war’s indirect effects. Lau highlighted the dire state of public health funding, stating that officials informed her only 1% of South Sudan’s 2026 national budget was allocated to the health ministry, while the majority went to military expenditures. This chronic underfunding leaves civilians, including those injured by explosives or gunshot wounds and survivors of intimate partner violence, with minimal access to care.

Despite the dangers, healthcare workers often face a moral dilemma: balancing their duty to treat patients with concerns for personal safety. Lau recounted a team member who, after seeking shelter during the bombardment, asked to return to the hospital to treat newly arrived wounded—a moment she described as “a classic dilemma.” The airstrike displaced tens of thousands, with some fleeing to bushes or nearby villages like Chuil and Minkaman in Lakes state, while others with means crossed into Ethiopia or Uganda.

Even amid ongoing restrictions, MSF teams remaining in South Sudan have scaled up support for displaced populations. Since late February, they have conducted 2,200 outpatient consultations, admitted 172 patients to the healthcare center in Chuil, and referred 16 for further treatment. Lau noted that U.S. President Donald Trump’s USAID funding cuts have weakened other international aid efforts, leaving MSF— which does not accept U.S. Government funding—as one of the few NGOs maintaining a functional healthcare presence in the country.

The pattern extends beyond South Sudan. In February 2026, the World Health Organization reported over 2,800 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities since Russia’s invasion began in 2022, with the highest incidence in 2025. United Nations experts have condemned Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s health system as “medicide,” and the WHO verified more than 20 attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran since March 1, 2026, amid escalating regional tensions. Lau observed that such assaults are no longer rare but have become a recurring feature of modern warfare.

MSF maintains that government forces, opposition groups, and non-state armed actors have all violated international humanitarian law by repeatedly targeting its facilities and staff. In August 2025, gunmen intercepted an MSF convoy and abducted a team leader just four days after seizing health ministry personnel; the worker was released hours later. During her deployment, Lau negotiated with various factions to protect personnel and patients, though she noted the government questioned her team’s presence in opposition-held areas despite MSF’s neutrality and concurrent operations in government-controlled zones.

Since December 2025, the South Sudanese government has imposed blockades restricting humanitarian access exclusively to parts of opposition-held territory in Jonglei state, a move MSF says aims to pressure rebel groups by endangering civilians. The organization warned these restrictions could have “dangerous consequences for children, pregnant women, and people living with chronic or life-threatening conditions.” Lau and her team now constantly weigh operational risks, acknowledging that the perceived safety of working in a hospital no longer exists.

“The erosion of humanitarian space isn’t just about broken buildings—it’s about broken trust. When hospitals become targets, communities lose faith in aid, and that loss lasts far longer than any conflict.”

The consequences ripple through local economies and infrastructure. In Jonglei’s capital, Bor, and surrounding towns like Malakal and Wau, the destruction of clinics and disruption of supply chains have halted vaccination programs and maternal health outreach. Local engineers and technicians, many of whom previously collaborated with NGOs on water sanitation and cold-chain maintenance, now face unemployment as projects stall. Municipal authorities struggle to maintain basic services amid diverted budgets and damaged roads, while informal markets near former clinic sites report declining foot traffic due to safety concerns.

“We’re not just losing medical access—we’re losing the foundation of community resilience. When a clinic goes down, so does the ability to respond to outbreaks, treat chronic illness, or support maternal health. That’s a long-term development setback.”

To address the cascading effects of healthcare collapse, communities increasingly rely on localized solutions. Mobile clinic operators and telemedicine coordinators are adapting to reach isolated populations, while solar-powered cold chain technicians ensure vaccine viability in off-grid areas. Legal advocates specializing in international humanitarian law are documenting attacks to support accountability efforts at the International Criminal Court. For those seeking to engage verified professionals in these fields, the World Today News Directory provides access to vetted emergency medical response teams, critical facility engineers, and human rights law firms equipped to operate in high-risk environments.

As the boundaries between combatants and civilians continue to blur in modern warfare, the protection of humanitarian space is no longer a peripheral concern—We see central to preserving human dignity and long-term stability. The erosion of safe access to care doesn’t just signal a failure of wartime conduct; it reveals a deeper unraveling of the social contract that sustains societies through crisis. When hospitals are targeted, the message is clear: no space is sacred. And in that realization lies both a warning and a call—to rebuild not just structures, but the systems and safeguards that make humanitarian work possible in the first place.