By Staff writer
Medical charity, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has called on all parties involved in the escalating conflict in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state to uphold international humanitarian law and ensure protection of civilians, healthcare workers, and medical facilities.
In a statement seen by this outlet, the organization said renewed violence and subsequent displacement in that region are severely impacting access to essential medical care, exacerbating an already humanitarian crisis.
“Despite the ongoing violence and displacement, many people including women, children, and the elderly have remained in their villages and towns in Ulang and Malakal counties,” stated Zakaria Mwatia, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.
“In a context where functioning health facilities are already limited, the few remaining hospitals are a lifeline for people in the area. It is vital that medical facilities, patients, and healthcare workers are protected and that access to medical care is not obstructed,” he added.
Despite intensifying violence in the region, MSF teams continue to provide lifesaving medical services in some of the few remaining functional health facilities. In particular, the teams are supporting hospitals in Ulang and Malakal, treating a growing number of patients with violence-related injuries, as well as cases of cholera.
In addition, MSF teams are supporting several primary healthcare centres, including Doma, Mandeng, Kuich, Galachel, Baliet and Khorfulus, with cholera-related medical supplies and staff training to strengthen the response and improve access to care in affected areas.
The cholera outbreak, combined with insecurity and limited access to water and sanitation, is placing the communities at even greater risk.
MSF said since February, more than 430 cholera patients have been treated at Ulang hospital alone, which remains the only functioning health facility in the area.
The medical charity stated that in recent weeks, its teams operating in Ulang and Malakal have provided urgent medical care to over 230 individuals, including women and children, suffering from violence-related injuries.
Amidst this crisis, MSF said it continues with regular lifesaving medical activities.
Currently, the organization said over 200 patients, including women and children, are receiving treatment in Malakal and Ulang hospitals for various health conditions.
In the past two weeks alone, MSF medical teams have conducted 240 outpatient consultations, provided 97 antenatal care visits, attended to 47 emergency room consultations, and assisted with 30 deliveries.
“As an independent organization, we provide medical care to everyone in need—regardless of their affiliation—in a neutral and impartial manner,” Mwatia added.
MSF said it remains deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Upper Nile state, which has displaced thousands and made access to healthcare increasingly difficult.
Meanwhile, the cholera outbreak is spreading rapidly, putting even more lives at risk and deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
“With cholera spreading and violence continuing, the need for medical care in Upper Nile state has become more critical than before,” Mwatia emphasized.
Beyond Ulang and Malakal, MSF teams are also delivering medical services in Renk County in Upper Nile, Greater Pibor Administrative Area and across several locations in Jonglei State, continuing to support communities affected by cholera.
