The fragile healthcare system in South Sudan has suffered a major setback following the violent looting and destruction of a key hospital operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). The facility, located in Ulang County in Upper Nile State, was the only major health center serving thousands of people in a region already devastated by conflict and political instability.
According to MSF, the hospital was completely destroyed during an armed assault in April. The attackers looted critical medical supplies worth more than $150,000, threatened medical staff, and left the building “in ruins and unable to function.”
The attack has forced MSF to suspend all activities at the site, leaving the population of Ulang and surrounding areas without access to secondary healthcare. The nearest operational health facility is now more than 200 kilometers away, a distance nearly impossible to cover for many in this remote, war-torn region.
South Sudan Ongoing Conflict Continues to Undermine Healthcare
The closure of the Ulang hospital marks another grim chapter in South Sudan’s deteriorating humanitarian crisis. The country has been plagued by political infighting, ethnic violence, and cyclical civil conflict since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011.
Recent months have seen a sharp escalation in violence as a fragile power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar continues to unravel. The once-promising peace deal now appears to be disintegrating, with clashes between forces loyal to each leader becoming more frequent and more destructive.
The hospital attack occurred shortly after the national army threatened military action in response to a series of riverboat hijackings. The government blamed the hijackings on forces affiliated with Machar. Retaliatory violence has since surged, putting civilians and humanitarian workers in extreme danger.
In a statement released Tuesday, MSF head of mission for South Sudan, Zakaria Mwatia, said the decision to shut down the hospital was not taken lightly but was unavoidable under the circumstances.
“The extensive losses from the looting have left us without the necessary resources to continue operations. We have no other option but to make the difficult decision to close the hospital,” Mwatia explained.
MSF also confirmed that it has withdrawn support from 13 primary healthcare facilities in the area, effectively cutting off thousands of residents from even the most basic medical services. For a region already grappling with malnutrition, cholera outbreaks, and maternal health challenges, the implications are devastating.
“The humanitarian impact of this closure cannot be overstated,” Mwatia said. “Thousands will now have to go without lifesaving care, including pregnant women, malnourished children, and patients with preventable illnesses.”
Tragically, the Ulang attack was not an isolated incident. In May, another MSF-run hospital in Old Fangak, located in northern South Sudan, was bombed. The blast destroyed the hospital’s pharmacy and obliterated all its stored medical supplies, rendering the facility inoperable.
That attack also came amid heightened tensions in the region, where the army had again threatened military action. Observers fear a trend of targeting medical facilities as part of broader military and political strategies.
Such attacks violate international humanitarian law, which explicitly protects medical personnel and facilities during armed conflict. Human rights organizations have condemned the acts and called for immediate investigations, though accountability in South Sudan remains rare.
The destruction of hospitals in Ulang and Old Fangak is just a symptom of the broader health system collapse in South Sudan. Decades of conflict have left the country with one of the weakest healthcare infrastructures in the world. The vast majority of citizens lack access to even basic services like clean water, vaccinations, and emergency care.
International aid agencies like MSF play a vital role in filling these gaps. However, continued insecurity, looting, and lack of government support are forcing even the most resilient NGOs to pull back.
According to the United Nations, more than 9 million people in South Sudan—over 70% of the population—will require humanitarian assistance in 2025. Without functioning healthcare facilities, those in remote areas like Upper Nile and Jonglei are especially vulnerable.
As South Sudan slides further into conflict, humanitarian groups are calling on the international community to renew diplomatic efforts and pressure leaders to protect civilians and critical infrastructure.
“The people of South Sudan are paying the price of political failure,” said one MSF coordinator. “If the world turns away now, more hospitals will close, and more lives will be lost.”
For the residents of Ulang County, the closure of their only hospital is not just a logistical inconvenience—it is a life-threatening blow in a country already fighting for survival.
Source- EWN