MSF suspends outreach activities in Yei River County
September 24, 2024 (YEI) – An international medical charity has announced the suspension of all its outreach activities in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria State’s Yei River County until further notice following a critical security incident involving its staff and staff from a partner organization.
The incident, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said in a statement, occurred on Friday last week.
MSF strongly condemned the attack on health workers, saying it is shocked by this unacceptable attack on the provision of neutral and impartial humanitarian assistance for communities in need.
“At approximately 3 p.m. last Friday, two clearly marked MSF vehicles were coming back to the town of Yei from an outreach activity when along the road unknown armed men forced our staff to disembark from their vehicles at gunpoint while looting MSF and personal belongings,” said Iqbal Huda, the MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.
“The armed men then forcibly took an MSF staff and one staff of a partner organization to the bush while letting the two remaining MSF staff, the drivers, proceed with their vehicles,” she added.
The two abducted staff were, however, safely released 24 hours later, the medical charity stated.
According to the MSF, this was the third attack on humanitarian organizations occurring around Yei in three months pointing to a systematic attack on the provision of humanitarian aid.
“Until the safety of MSF operations and staff is assured, MSF cannot guarantee resumption of activities in the area,” the statement read.
“The real victims of these incidents are the most vulnerable people living in underserved areas where MSF is the only provider of healthcare services in this area outside of Yei town,” said Huda.
“Attacks against humanitarians and healthcare workers are unacceptable and they directly affect the provision of healthcare for communities who desperately need it,” she added.
The medical charity called on all armed groups to uphold their responsibilities under international humanitarian law and respect the provision of humanitarian assistance.
Operational in South Sudan since 1983, MSF teams provide a range of services including general healthcare, mental healthcare, and specialist hospital care. It also provides health assistance to displaced people and remote communities in six of the country’s 10 states and two administrative areas.
(ST)