MALAKAL – Medicine San Frontiers (MSF) has suspended the only functional hospital in Ulang County of Upper Nile State after dozens of armed youth stormed the facility and looted vital medical supplies and threatened staff.
The international, independent, and medical humanitarian organization that provides medical assistance to people in crisis situations, expressed outrage over the incident in a cholera-battered county where violence already rendered many heath facilities dysfunctional, compounded by aid cuts.
“We are outraged by the attack on our hospital and the threats against our medical staff in Ulang,” said Zakariya Mwatia, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan. “This facility has been a lifeline for the community at a time of escalating violence and an active cholera outbreak. Such attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers are completely unacceptable.”
The attack has left over 100 patients who were receiving treatment to flee, including women receiving maternity services and children under treatment.
“We are gravely concerned about the devastating impact the closure of medical services will have on already vulnerable communities, who now face even greater barriers to accessing lifesaving care,” added Mwatia.
The attack comes amid rising violence and a cholera outbreak, leaving thousands without access to urgent medical care.
The organisation has condemned the act carried out by the armed men citing the grave violation of humanitarian principles, calling on all parties to protect civilians, health workers, and medical facilities.
“The safety of patients and health workers must be guaranteed,” Mwatia stated in a press release seen by Sudans Post.
The disruption also resulted in the suspension of critical support by MSF to several primary healthcare centres (PHCCs) across the region, halting vital efforts to treat cholera patients and control the ongoing outbreak.
More than 800 patients living with HIV/AIDs, TB, and other chronic diseases have lost access to their treatment, putting their lives at significant risk.
The agency said the attacks on Ulang hospital is part of a broader pattern of insecurity affecting healthcare in the area with several counts within the years.
MSF said two clearly marked boats carrying six staff were attacked by armed men while returning to Ulang after delivering medical supplies to Nasir County Hospital in January 2025 forcing the organisation to suspend all outreach activities in the region.
