South Sudan: 31-Year-Old Hospital Closes Due to Bombing and Looting—Attacks on Medical Facilities Are Unacceptable
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has permanently closed Lankien Hospital in eastern South Sudan after it sustained severe damage from an airstrike and looting in February. MSF is calling for an immediate end to attacks on medical facilities and an independent investigation.
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- 📰 Published: May 2, 2026 at 05:24
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 21:02
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 21:41 (39 min after Collected)
RANKEIN, South Sudan – Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has decided to indefinitely close the hospital it operates in Lankien, Jonglei State, eastern South Sudan. This decision comes after the facility suffered extensive damage from an airstrike on February 3 this year. The closure forces a halt to 31 years of continuous medical humanitarian activities in the area, resulting in the loss of healthcare in a region where access to medical services was already extremely limited.
MSF urges all parties to the conflict to refrain from attacking medical facilities and personnel, and strongly calls for an independent and impartial investigation into this attack.
**Airstrike on Hospital Grounds, Medical Activities Halted**
The hospital ceased all medical activities on February 3 after a warehouse on its premises was destroyed by bombs dropped from an aircraft. The warehouse, which stored crucial supplies including medicines, was completely destroyed by the airstrike.
While MSF cannot currently identify the party responsible for this attack, to MSF’s knowledge, only government forces possess the capability to conduct airstrikes. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that government forces controlled the area around Lankien for several days following the airstrike.
Subsequently, Lankien Hospital was looted, partially burned, and the remaining buildings were also destroyed. The parties involved in this looting and destruction have not yet been identified.
**“Unimaginable Destruction” — The Devastation Witnessed on Site**
Gul Badshah, MSF Operations Manager, stated:
“We are deeply outraged by the scenes we witnessed at the hospital. The scale of destruction far exceeded anything imaginable. Bullet holes riddled vehicle windshields, warehouses were burnt to the ground, and even medical equipment used to treat children was targeted and destroyed.”
Hours before the February 3 attack, Lankien Hospital had evacuated its inpatients due to rising tensions in the region. Reports indicate that many people fled the town after the hospital and town market were bombed.
**Frequent Attacks on Medical Facilities Affect Civilians Most**
Attacks on healthcare are not isolated incidents. Violence against medical services is widespread across South Sudan. Since early 2025, MSF facilities and staff have been affected by at least 12 attacks or violent incidents. This has led to the forced closure of four hospitals—in Ulang, Old Fangak, Akobo, and now Lankien. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people are left without access to medical care. It is always civilians who are most severely affected by attacks on healthcare.
Badshah emphasized:
“Attacks on medical facilities, medical personnel, and civilians are never acceptable and must cease immediately. Government forces, opposition groups, and all other armed groups must take full responsibility for their actions. They must also prevent attacks on medical workers, facilities, and civilians, and respect international humanitarian law and its fundamental principles, including the principles of distinction and proportionality.”
MSF calls on the South Sudanese authorities to provide transparent accountability, identify those responsible, and implement concrete measures to protect medical and humanitarian activities.
MSF has been active in Lankien since 1995, initially addressing kala-azar, one of the neglected tropical diseases. Over time, activities gradually expanded, and this hospital became the sole facility capable of providing advanced medical care in the region. Before its destruction, it supported the healthcare of approximately 250,000 people, but with the permanent closure of the hospital, the community has completely lost medical services, exposing people to preventable deaths.
MSF urges all parties to the conflict to refrain from attacking medical facilities and personnel, and strongly calls for an independent and impartial investigation into this attack.
**Airstrike on Hospital Grounds, Medical Activities Halted**
The hospital ceased all medical activities on February 3 after a warehouse on its premises was destroyed by bombs dropped from an aircraft. The warehouse, which stored crucial supplies including medicines, was completely destroyed by the airstrike.
While MSF cannot currently identify the party responsible for this attack, to MSF’s knowledge, only government forces possess the capability to conduct airstrikes. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that government forces controlled the area around Lankien for several days following the airstrike.
Subsequently, Lankien Hospital was looted, partially burned, and the remaining buildings were also destroyed. The parties involved in this looting and destruction have not yet been identified.
**“Unimaginable Destruction” — The Devastation Witnessed on Site**
Gul Badshah, MSF Operations Manager, stated:
“We are deeply outraged by the scenes we witnessed at the hospital. The scale of destruction far exceeded anything imaginable. Bullet holes riddled vehicle windshields, warehouses were burnt to the ground, and even medical equipment used to treat children was targeted and destroyed.”
Hours before the February 3 attack, Lankien Hospital had evacuated its inpatients due to rising tensions in the region. Reports indicate that many people fled the town after the hospital and town market were bombed.
**Frequent Attacks on Medical Facilities Affect Civilians Most**
Attacks on healthcare are not isolated incidents. Violence against medical services is widespread across South Sudan. Since early 2025, MSF facilities and staff have been affected by at least 12 attacks or violent incidents. This has led to the forced closure of four hospitals—in Ulang, Old Fangak, Akobo, and now Lankien. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people are left without access to medical care. It is always civilians who are most severely affected by attacks on healthcare.
Badshah emphasized:
“Attacks on medical facilities, medical personnel, and civilians are never acceptable and must cease immediately. Government forces, opposition groups, and all other armed groups must take full responsibility for their actions. They must also prevent attacks on medical workers, facilities, and civilians, and respect international humanitarian law and its fundamental principles, including the principles of distinction and proportionality.”
MSF calls on the South Sudanese authorities to provide transparent accountability, identify those responsible, and implement concrete measures to protect medical and humanitarian activities.
MSF has been active in Lankien since 1995, initially addressing kala-azar, one of the neglected tropical diseases. Over time, activities gradually expanded, and this hospital became the sole facility capable of providing advanced medical care in the region. Before its destruction, it supported the healthcare of approximately 250,000 people, but with the permanent closure of the hospital, the community has completely lost medical services, exposing people to preventable deaths.