…Despite her safe release, the incident highlights the growing threat to healthcare workers and the collapse of medical access in conflict-hit regions like Yei and Morobo.
By Bunmi Yekini
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has strongly condemned the abduction of a Ministry of Health staff member from one of its ambulances in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan—an alarming incident that underscores the worsening trend of violence targeting healthcare workers in the region.
The abduction occurred around 10:00 am on July 25, 2025, when armed individuals intercepted the ambulance en route from Yei to Morobo. The vehicle was transporting discharged patients under the care of MSF. The perpetrators forcibly removed the Ministry of Health staff member and abducted her. Thankfully, she was released unharmed the following day.
The MSF driver, patients, and remaining staff were not harmed and allowed to continue the journey. “This is not just an attack on one individual; it is a direct assault on the healthcare system meant to serve the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Dr. Ferdinand Atte, MSF’s Head of Mission in South Sudan. “What we are witnessing is a disturbing and unacceptable trend, where the impartial provision of healthcare services faces indiscriminate attacks.”
This incident is the fourth serious security breach MSF has suffered in South Sudan in just seven months. In April, MSF’s hospital in Ulang was violently looted by armed men in broad daylight. In May, gunship helicopters bombed the MSF hospital in Old Fangak, killing at least seven people and injuring 27, including four MSF staff.
And in January, MSF boats in Upper Nile State came under gunfire, forcing staff to swim for safety. Amid this intensifying violence, MSF has been forced to scale down operations significantly. In May, the organization reduced outreach services in Yei and Morobo due to growing insecurity. As a result, outpatient consultations dropped by half—from earlier figures to just 3,427 in May and June 2025.
These cuts have dire consequences for remote communities already facing limited access to care. “Healthcare workers must never be targeted,” Dr. Atte stressed. “No medical worker should have to risk their life to save others.” MSF has worked in South Sudan for over 40 years, delivering critical care during conflicts, floods, and disease outbreaks.
In Yei and Morobo counties alone, MSF supports four Ministry of Health facilities, conducts mobile clinics, and provides maternal and child healthcare. Between January and June 2025, MSF carried out 14,500 outpatient consultations and assisted 438 maternal deliveries.
Now, the organization is urging all parties to the ongoing conflict to respect international humanitarian law and uphold the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. “MSF continues to call on all parties involved in the conflict to fulfil their obligations to protect healthcare workers, patients, and medical facilities,” Dr. Atte added. “Safe access to healthcare is a right, not a privilege, even in war.”