South Sudan: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Permanently Closes Hospital and Ends Support to 13 Health Facilities in Ulang County Following Violent Looting
The hospital infrastructure, in which MSF had invested millions of euros, was completely destroyed. In addition, intruders looted medicines worth €135,000—enough to run the hospital for months and care for thousands of patients. This has left the hospital in ruins and unable to function.
'They took everything: medical equipment, laptops, patients' beds and mattresses from the wards, and approximately nine months' worth of medical supplies, including two planeloads of surgical kits and drugs delivered just the week before. Whatever they could not carry, they destroyed,' says Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission for South Sudan.
'The extensive losses from the looting have left us without the necessary resources to continue operations. We have no other option but to make the difficult decision to close the hospital and our support to 13 primary healthcare facilities, as they all relied on the hospital for medical supplies, referrals, and technical support.'
This was the second attack on MSF in the area in less than three months. In January, two marked MSF boats on their way to Ulang after delivering medical supplies to Nasir County Hospital were shot at by unknown gunmen, forcing everyone on board to jump into the water and swim to safety. Less than a month after the looting, another MSF hospital was bombed in Old Fangak, forcing MSF to suspend activities.
Such attacks on healthcare facilities severely disrupt access to healthcare services by the communities, who depend on MSF for medical assistance. The closure of MSF facilities has left the area spanning more than 200 kilometres, from the Ethiopian border to Malakal, without any secondary healthcare facility. With the closure of the Ulang Hospital, pressure has increased significantly on the few remaining health structures, especially in Malakal, which has recorded an influx of patients in recent weeks.
'The security situation in the area remains volatile, with ongoing clashes in neighbouring regions. MSF prioritises the safety of its staff and patients and the integrity of our services, but the current environment makes it impossible to ensure either. We are deeply concerned by the growing trend of attacks on healthcare and the devastating impact this has on communities. We urgently call for the protection of patients, healthcare workers, and medical facilities at all times,' Mwatia adds.
Since its launch in 2018, the MSF project in Ulang has provided vital healthcare services to over 150,000 people across Ulang County. This included running a secondary care hospital and supporting 13 primary healthcare facilities throughout the region. Over the past seven years, MSF has carried out more than 139,730 outpatient consultations, admitted 19,350 patients, treated 32,966 cases of malaria, and assisted 2,685 maternal deliveries, among other essential services. During this time, MSF also facilitated patient
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).
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