South Sudan: MSF Concerned for Unaccounted Staff in Lankien and Pieri

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is deeply concerned for the safety and wellbeing of our staff in Lankien and Pieri, Jonglei state, South Sudan, following a recent escalation of violence there.

Twenty-six of our 291 colleagues who were working in Lankien and Pieri remain unaccounted for following the recent violence, and we have lost contact with them amid ongoing insecurity. At the time of the fighting, staff had already evacuated the compound of Lankien hospital and Pieri healthcare centre due to rising tensions and information about a possible attack on the town.

Communication networks in this area are limited, particularly for those who have fled into the bush to seek safety. The loss of contact may be linked to the absence of connectivity. However, we are seriously concerned that some of our colleagues may be facing difficult conditions that prevent them from communicating with us.

Many of our staff were forced to flee the violence alongside their families. Several are now displaced, sheltering in remote areas with little access to food, water, or basic services. Beyond the suspension of medical activities, this crisis has directly affected the very health workers who were providing care to their communities.

"This violence has taken an unbearable toll not only on healthcare services but on the people who kept them running. Medical workers must never be targets," says Yashovardhan, MSF's head of mission in South Sudan. "We are deeply concerned about what has happened to our colleagues and the communities we serve."

"Where security conditions allow, we have initiated emergency support in areas where people have sought refuge," says Yashovardhan. "We are also taking steps to support our staff during this period."

The ongoing insecurity has forced MSF to suspend medical activities in Lankien and Pieri, leaving approximately 250,000 people without access to healthcare.

We are making every possible effort to re-establish contact with our missing colleagues and to support all affected staff and their families. The safety and security of our teams remain our highest priority.

MSF reiterates that medical facilities, patients, and healthcare workers must be protected at all times. Attacks on healthcare are unacceptable and deprive communities of essential medical care.

Read the original article on MSF.