MSF Says 26 Staff Still Missing One Month After Attacks in South Sudan

MSF Says 26 Staff Still Missing One Month After Attacks in South Sudan
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More than two dozen staff members from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) remain unaccounted for a month after attacks on two of its medical facilities in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, the organization said.

The incidents occurred on Feb. 3, when an MSF hospital in Lankien was bombed by government forces and another facility in Pieri was raided by unidentified assailants. Both towns are located in opposition-held areas northeast of the capital, Juba. MSF said 26 of its 291 staff working at the two sites are still missing after fleeing into remote areas amid ongoing clashes and aerial bombardments.

Violence in Jonglei has intensified since December, displacing an estimated 280,000 people. Opposition forces initially seized several government outposts before a counteroffensive in January recaptured much of the territory.

MSF said its facilities have been attacked 10 times in the past year, warning of a growing pattern of violence against humanitarian workers. The organization expressed concern for missing staff and called for the protection of medical personnel and services.