By Philip Buda Ladu
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has issued an urgent call to all parties involved in the conflict in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state to respect and protect civilians, healthcare workers, and medical facilities.
In a statement extended to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, the international medical organization highlighted the critical need to uphold international humanitarian law as violence and displacement escalate in the region.
MSF teams are currently providing vital, life-saving medical services in some of the few remaining functional health facilities in Upper Nile.
This includes crucial support to hospitals in Ulang and Malakal town, where they are witnessing a growing influx of patients suffering from violence-related injuries, alongside a concerning cholera outbreak.
The organization is also bolstering the capacity of several primary healthcare centers, including Doma, Mandeng, Kuich, Galachel, Baliet, and Khorfulus. This support involves providing essential cholera-related medical supplies and conducting staff training to strengthen the response and improve access to care for communities in affected areas.
“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. In a context where functioning health facilities are already limited, the few remaining hospitals are a lifeline for people in the area” emphasized Zakaria Mwatia, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.
It is vital that medical facilities, patients, and healthcare workers are protected and that access to medical care is not obstructed,” he added.
MSF noted that the combination of the escalating cholera outbreak and the prevailing insecurity, coupled with limited access to clean water and sanitation, is exacerbating the already precarious situation for communities.
Since February, Ulang hospital alone has treated over 430 cholera patients, underscoring its critical role as the only functioning health facility in the area, according to MSF.
In recent weeks, MSF teams in Ulang and Malakal have attended to over 230 individuals, including women and children, with injuries directly linked to the violence.
Simultaneously, MSF continues its regular life-saving medical activities, with over 200 patients currently receiving treatment in Malakal and Ulang hospitals.
In the past two weeks alone, MSF medical teams have conducted 240 outpatient consultations, 97 antenatal care visits, 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,” added Mwatia, underscoring MSF’s commitment to providing impartial medical assistance.
MSF expressed its deep concern regarding the ongoing violence in Upper Nile state, which has already displaced thousands and is severely hindering access to essential healthcare.
The rapid spread of the cholera outbreak further compounds this crisis, placing even more lives at risk and deepening an already dire humanitarian situation.
“With cholera spreading and violence continuing, the need for medical care in Upper Nile state has become more critical than before,” Mwatia stressed.
Beyond Ulang and Malakal, MSF teams are also actively delivering medical services in Renk County within Upper Nile.
Additionally, the organization is working in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area and across various locations in Jonglei State, including Akobo, where they continue to support communities affected by the ongoing cholera outbreak.