LANKIEN/JUBA — Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has evacuated key staff from its healthcare facility in Lankien town, Nyirol County, Jonglei State, following airstrikes that struck areas close to the hospital, local market, and airstrip on 29 December.
The move comes amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the area, marked by military clashes between the SSPDF and SPLA-IO and airstrikes by the South Sudan army.
Despite the evacuation of essential personnel, MSF confirmed that the Lankien healthcare facility remains operational and continues to provide life-saving medical services to the local population.
MSF teams on the ground have continued treating patients affected by the violence in the days following the attack.
According to MSF, medical teams received 12 wounded patients after the airstrikes, including elderly men, women, and children.
One patient later died due to injuries sustained in the bombing. The most common injuries treated were fractures and lacerations.
“The safety of our patients and staff is our priority,” said Ibrahim Muhammad, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.
“We reiterate our call for the protection of medical facilities, healthcare workers, and patients in line with international humanitarian law. Civilians must also be protected, and critical patients need safe and timely referrals out of Lankien.”
The airstrikes also damaged areas near the airstrip used by MSF aircraft for medical referrals and the delivery of essential supplies, raising concerns about access to emergency care in the region.
MSF currently operates in several locations across Jonglei State, including Lankien, Pieri, Toch, and Akobo. The organization warned that continued insecurity threatens access to healthcare for already vulnerable communities.
In 2025 alone, MSF recorded at least eight attacks on health facilities and healthcare workers across South Sudan.
These incidents have led to the closure of two hospitals and the suspension of primary healthcare activities in Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria states.
The charity has worked in South Sudan since 1983 and remains one of the largest humanitarian medical actors in the country.
It currently operates in six states and two administrative areas. In 2024, MSF teams carried out more than 800,000 outpatient consultations nationwide and provided inpatient care to 84,800 patients.
