MSF Evacuates Key Staff from Lankien After Airstrikes But Keeps Hospital Open

(NYIROL, JONGLEI) – Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, has evacuated key staff from its health facility in Lankien town, Nyirol County of Jonglei State, following airstrikes and a worsening security situation in the area. The organisation said the facility remains open and continues to provide life saving medical services to the local population.

MSF said the decision was taken to protect staff while ensuring that essential care continues for communities who depend on the hospital. Despite the evacuation of some personnel, medical teams on the ground have continued treating patients, including those injured in recent violence.

On 29 December, airstrikes hit an area close to the MSF health facility, the local market and the airstrip used by MSF aircraft for patient referrals and the delivery of medical supplies. The bombing caused fear among civilians and disrupted movement in and out of Lankien, which is a key hub for healthcare in the area.

MSF confirmed that its teams continued working in the days following the strikes. On the day of the airstrikes alone, medical staff received 12 wounded patients at the Lankien facility. The patients included elderly men, women and children. One patient later died from injuries sustained in the attack. Most of the patients suffered fractures and deep cuts.

Ibrahim Muhammad, the MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan, said the organisation was deeply concerned about the safety of civilians and healthcare services. “MSF reiterates its call for the protection of medical facilities, healthcare workers and patients, in accordance with international humanitarian law,” he said. “We also call for the protection of civilians and timely referral of critical patients out of Lankien.”

MSF operates several projects across Jonglei State, including in Lankien, Pieri, Toch and Akobo. The organisation said continued insecurity threatens access to care for thousands of people, particularly in remote areas where alternative health services are limited or non existent.

The evacuation in Lankien comes amid a wider pattern of violence affecting healthcare in South Sudan. In 2025, MSF recorded at least eight attacks on health facilities and health workers across the country. These incidents led to the closure of two hospitals and the suspension of primary healthcare services in parts of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Central Equatoria states.

MSF said attacks on health services not only endanger staff but also leave communities without essential care. The organisation has repeatedly warned that violence against medical facilities worsens the humanitarian crisis and increases preventable deaths.

MSF has been working in South Sudan since 1983, even before the country gained independence. South Sudan remains one of the organisation’s largest operations globally. MSF currently works in six states and two administrative areas, providing emergency and routine healthcare.

In 2024 alone, MSF teams across South Sudan carried out more than 800,000 outpatient consultations and admitted 84,800 patients for inpatient care. The organisation also supported referrals for critically ill patients, including those needing evacuation from hard to reach locations such as Lankien.

Health workers and humanitarian agencies continue to call on all parties to the conflict to respect medical neutrality and allow safe access to care for civilians, particularly in conflict affected areas of South Sudan.

Recent impact on MSF health services in South Sudan