Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – MSF has suspended all operational activities in Yei River and Morobo counties in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria State for a minimum of six weeks following the abduction of an MSF staff member.
This decision follows the abduction of an MSF staff member, the team leader of a convoy, who was stopped by armed gunmen while evacuating from Morobo to Yei due to deteriorating security conditions. The gunmen allowed other MSF staff in the convoy to continue their journey but took the team leader into the bush, releasing him an hour later.
The statement noted that the incident occurred just four days after health ministry staff were abducted from an MSF ambulance on the same road and at the same location
“We are outraged by this targeted attack. Attacks on humanitarian workers serving the most vulnerable members of the society must stop,” says Dr. Ferdinand Atte, MSF’s head of mission in South Sudan. “While we are deeply committed to providing care to those in need, we cannot keep our staff working in an unsafe environment.”
The statement said that these counties have been experiencing similar abduction which it said is part of a disturbing trend of targeted violence on healthcare and aid workers in the areas.
According to the statement the residents of Yei River and Morobo counties live in remote and hard-to-reach areas, frequently cut off from essential services due to limited infrastructure and armed conflict, citing their heavy reliance on humanitarian organizations like MSF for essential services.
It further said that the abduction incident marked the second time MSF has been compelled to reduce the provision of medical services in the area in less than three months. “In May, we were forced to reduce activities due to escalating insecurity in the area. MSF has also suspended all activities in camps for internally displaced persons due to the relentless violence in Morobo County,” it said.
Due to the mounting security concern, MSF said it had to take the difficult decision to suspend all activities in both counties, until further notice, adding to the growing number of projects and health facilities MSF has had to close this year as a result of attacks.
MSF said that in both counties, it provides primary healthcare services by supporting four Ministry of Health facilities, offering outpatient consultations, routine vaccinations, and maternal and child healthcare, including mobile clinics and supporting community-based healthcare through the Boma Health Initiative program in the area. “Between January and June 2025, MSF conducted 14,500 outpatient consultations, 1,192 antenatal consultations, and assisted in 438 maternal deliveries in this area,” it said.
In separate incidents, MSF reported a significant increase in attacks on its healthcare workers and facilities in South Sudan since the beginning of the year.
According to its report, two MSF boats were fired upon by unidentified gunmen, a hospital in Ulang was looted and forced to close, and an MSF hospital in Old Fangak was bombed by helicopter gunships. The statement said these attacks have resulted in staff injuries, the destruction of critical medical supplies, and have left over 150,000 people without access to essential medical care.
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