Violence in South Sudan’s Jonglei State has sharply escalated after an air strike struck a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders, dealing a severe blow to already fragile humanitarian services in the region.
According to Doctors Without Borders, the attack occurred late on Tuesday night, February 3, when a government air strike hit its hospital compound in Lankien, an area at the center of renewed fighting between government forces and a coalition of opposition groups. One staff member sustained minor injuries. Although patients and personnel had been evacuated several hours earlier after warnings of an imminent strike, the hospital’s main warehouse was destroyed, eliminating nearly all critical medical supplies.
On the same day, a second Doctors Without Borders health facility in the nearby town of Pieri was looted by unidentified assailants. The damage rendered the facility inoperable, further cutting off access to healthcare for surrounding communities.
Doctors Without Borders said the South Sudanese government is the only party to the conflict with the capacity to carry out aerial attacks. The organization confirmed that the GPS coordinates of all its medical facilities had been formally shared with the authorities in advance, in line with standard humanitarian protection procedures.
The incidents have had devastating consequences for civilians in Jonglei, one of the regions hardest hit by South Sudan’s protracted conflict. United Nations estimates indicate that approximately 280,000 people have been displaced across Jonglei since late December 2025 due to renewed fighting and air strikes in multiple counties, including Uror, Nyirol, Akobo, Duk, Ayod, and Canal/Pigi.
Doctors Without Borders had been the sole provider of healthcare for an estimated 250,000 people in Lankien and Pieri. With both facilities now closed, entire communities have been left without medical care at a time when the risks of disease and malnutrition are rapidly increasing.
Cholera outbreaks have been reported in Duk County, driven by overcrowding and inadequate sanitation in displacement sites. UNICEF has warned that up to 450,000 children in Jonglei are at risk of acute malnutrition, highlighting the scale of the emergency.
Humanitarian operations remain further constrained by access restrictions imposed since December 2025, which have limited the delivery of food, medicine, and emergency aid to opposition-controlled areas. Aid agencies warn that continued insecurity and restrictions could push already vulnerable populations closer to famine conditions.
The latest violence underscores South Sudan’s persistent instability, as the 2018 peace agreement continues to stall. Political tensions are rising ahead of planned national elections later in 2026, while the country is also absorbing more than 800,000 returnees and refugees fleeing the conflict in neighboring Sudan.
“While we are aware of the enormous needs in the country, we find it unacceptable to be a target for attacks,” said Gul Badshah, Operations Manager for Doctors Without Borders, calling for respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of medical facilities.
As of early February, no official public response from the South Sudanese government regarding the air strike allegations had been reported.
