Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has shut down its hospital in Ulang, Upper Nile State, South Sudan, after armed attackers looted the facility, destroying medicine worth $150,000 and forcing the closure of a vital health center. The hospital was left in ruins and unable to operate following the violent April raid, which also involved threats against staff.
The closure comes amid escalating conflict after the collapse of a power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. Zakaria Mwatia, MSF’s head of mission in South Sudan, said the extensive losses left the organization without the resources to continue, forcing the difficult decision to close the hospital.
MSF has also withdrawn support from 13 primary health facilities in the area, leaving the county without any secondary healthcare, with the nearest such facility more than 200 kilometers away.
In a related incident in May, an MSF hospital in Old Fangak, northern South Sudan, was bombed, destroying its pharmacy and medical supplies. This followed threats by the army to attack the region after accusing Machar’s allies of hijacking boats and barges.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has been plagued by ongoing instability and conflict.
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