Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Medical charity closes S. Sudan hospital following violent attacks
NAIROBI — Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced the closure of its hospital in South Sudan after an armed raid and extensive looting, leaving a remote conflict-hit county without a vital healthcare facility, AFP reports.
According to MSF, its hospital in Ulang, Upper Nile State, was "completely destroyed" when armed assailants stormed the premises in April, threatened staff, and made off with $150,000 worth of medicine.
In a statement, MSF described the facility as left “in ruins and unable to operate.”
South Sudan has been gripped by renewed violence after a power-sharing deal between rival leaders—President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar—collapsed in recent months.
“The significant losses from the looting have stripped us of the resources needed to continue our work. Regrettably, we have no choice but to make the difficult decision to close the hospital,” said MSF’s head of mission for South Sudan, Zakaria Mwatia.
MSF has also withdrawn its support from 13 primary healthcare centers in the county, stating that the move leaves the region “with no secondary care facility,” as the nearest hospital is over 200 kilometers away.
Last month, another MSF hospital in Old Fangak, northern South Sudan, was bombed, destroying the pharmacy and all medical supplies.
That attack occurred after the army threatened to strike the area in response to several boats and barges allegedly hijacked by Machar’s supporters.
Since achieving independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has continually struggled with instability.