S. Sudan: MSF suspends operations in Pibor, urges staffs to evacuate
By Julius N. Uma
January 03, 2011 (NIMULE) – The international medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced that it has temporarily suspended its much needed medical activities in South Sudan’s Pibor county in Jongeli state, following renewed inter-communal violence in the area.
The impromptu decision emerged after two of its medical facilities were reportedly targeted and looted during the violence, which has forced thousands of families to flee into the bush, MSF said in a statement on 2 January.
“Thousands of people have fled for their lives in Lekongole and Pibor in the last week and are now hiding in the bush, frightened for their lives,” said Parthesarathy Rajendran, MSF head of mission in South Sudan.
“They fled in haste and have no food or water, some of them are doubtless carrying wounds or injuries, and now they are on their own, hiding, beyond the reach of humanitarian assistance”, he added.
The MSF’s assessment team, which visited Lekongole village on 28 December, described it as a ‘ghost town’ after its inhabitants fled to neighbouring regions, while several structures have reportedly been razed to the ground.
MSF also stated that, “While the people are hidden in the bush, we cannot reach them to clean and dress wounds, treat diseases and provide general primary healthcare. The longer they are in the bush, the more serious it will become for people who are injured or sick”.
MSF, which has provided aid in South Sudan for the last three decades, strongly condemned the act of targeting the neutral and impartial medical facilities, and reiterated its commitment to continue to provide medical care irrespective of ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.
The organisation stated that it would commence the provision of emergency care as soon as possible, but added that it remained deeply concerned about the safety of 156 locally hired staff, who were reportedly advised to leave their respective towns or villages to seek refuge following the outbreak of violence.
“There are several crisis situations evolving in different parts of South Sudan right now”, said Rajendran “Our medical teams are also currently responding to the crisis of refugees fleeing conflict in neighbouring Sudan.”
MSF’s head of the mission confirmed that the capacity for emergency humanitarian response remains an ‘absolute priority’ in South Sudan, less than six month after the country officially attained its independence.
(ST)