By Bunmi Yekini
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has raised alarm over the escalating violence in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, which has displaced thousands and exacerbated a growing cholera outbreak. The humanitarian organization warns that the deteriorating situation is restricting access to healthcare, putting countless lives at risk.
“As people flee for safety, cholera is spreading rapidly, claiming lives and deepening the humanitarian crisis,” MSF said in a statement on Monday.
MSF teams are providing urgent medical care in conflict-affected areas, including Ulang, Malakal, and Renk counties. The organization has expanded operations along the Sobat corridor to reach more people affected by both violence and disease.
“We call on all parties to the conflict to respect and protect civilians, medical facilities, and humanitarian workers, as well as to grant unhindered humanitarian access to people being affected by the violence and cholera, in line with international humanitarian law,” said Zakaria Mwatia, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan. “As an independent medical organization, we provide care to all in need, regardless of their armed or political affiliations.”
Since early March, MSF has treated more than 400 cholera patients in Ulang and provided trauma care to over 30 people injured in the ongoing clashes. The organization is also supporting several health facilities along the Sobat and Nile rivers, in addition to operating a hospital inside the Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Malakal.
In Renk County, MSF has expanded its surgical services at Renk County Hospital while also delivering primary healthcare to displaced persons in Atham, Girbanat, and Gosfami. The cholera outbreak has already spread to Jonglei State, where MSF is operating a 100-bed treatment unit at Akobo County Hospital and treating patients in Lankien, including those fleeing from Upper Nile.
“With cholera spreading rapidly and violence ongoing, the need for medical care in Upper Nile State is more critical than ever!” Mwatia warned.
MSF continues to urge international attention to the unfolding humanitarian disaster, stressing the urgency of securing safe access for medical teams to affected communities.