In a statement released on 4 February, MSF confirmed that its hospital compound in Lankien was struck by an airstrike during the night of Tuesday, 3 February. The bombardment destroyed the hospital’s main warehouse, where essential medicines and equipment were stored, severely crippling its ability to provide care. One staff member sustained minor injuries during the attack.
The organisation said its teams had evacuated the hospital and discharged patients just hours earlier after receiving information about a possible strike on the town, a precaution that likely prevented casualties among patients.
However, the situation worsened when staff members from both Lankien and another MSF facility in Pieri fled alongside the local population as insecurity escalated. MSF said it has been unable to establish contact with some of its colleagues.
“Our colleagues from Lankien and Pieri had to flee with the community, and their fate and whereabouts are still unknown, as we are trying to establish communication with them,” the organisation said.
Earlier that same afternoon, MSF’s health centre in Pieri was looted by unknown assailants, rendering the facility unusable. The combined incidents have left large parts of the area without access to healthcare.
“MSF shared the GPS coordinates of all our facilities with the government and other parties to the conflict before, and we received confirmation that they are aware of our locations,” said Gul Badshah, MSF operations manager. “The government of South Sudan armed forces are the only armed party with the capacity to perform aerial attacks in the country.”
MSF was the only provider of healthcare for an estimated 250,000 people in Lankien and Pieri. With both facilities now out of service, residents face the loss of emergency treatment, maternal and child healthcare, and services for infectious diseases, malnutrition, and chronic illnesses.
The organisation said the attack comes amid increasing restrictions on humanitarian access in opposition-held areas of Jonglei since December, which have hampered the delivery of medical assistance. MSF warned that such limitations could have particularly severe consequences for children, pregnant women, and people with life-threatening conditions.
“Given the current context, we will make the necessary decisions to protect the safety of our staff and healthcare facilities in South Sudan,” Badshah added. “While we are aware of the enormous needs in the country, we find it unacceptable to be a target for attacks.”
MSF has worked in South Sudan since 1983 and remains one of the largest medical humanitarian organisations in the country. In 2025, it conducted more than 830,000 outpatient consultations, treated over 93,000 inpatients, performed 12,000 surgeries, and screened more than 107,000 children for malnutrition.
The group said the latest bombing underscores the growing risks faced by aid workers and warned that continued attacks could force further suspension of lifesaving services in communities already struggling with limited healthcare access.
