from EMMANUEL MANYANG in Juba, South Sudan
South Sudan Bureau
JUBA, (CAJ News) – THE suspension of outreach activities by a doctor’s organisation following an attack in South Sudan is a major blow for citizens already grappling with difficulty in accessing healthcare.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF or Doctors Without Borders) has suspended operations in Yei, in the Central Equatoria state, until further notice, following a critical security incident involving MSF staff and staff from a partner organization last Friday.
Two marked MSF vehicles were coming back to the town 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.
The armed men are said to have forcibly taken an MSF staff and one staff of a partner organisation, to the bush, while letting the two remaining MSF staff – the drivers – to proceed with their vehicles.
While the two abducted staff were released 24 hours later, this is the third attack on humanitarian organisations 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, it said.
“We are deeply shocked by this unacceptable attack on the provision of neutral and impartial humanitarian assistance for communities in need,” said Iqbal Huda, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.
“As a result of the attack, our outreach movements and activities to communities surrounding Yei and Morobo have been suspended until we can have concrete guarantees that medical, humanitarian services and lifesaving work can continue unhindered in the area.”
MSF stated the real victims of these incidents were the most vulnerable people living in underserved areas where the organisation reports it is the only provider of healthcare services in this area outside of Yei town.
The organisation reminded that attacks against humanitarians and healthcare workers were unacceptable and directly affected the provision of healthcare for communities who desperately needed it.
“We call on all armed groups to uphold their responsibilities under international humanitarian law and respect the provision of humanitarian assistance,” Huda concluded.
The world’s newest country after attaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has been volatile since a civil war broke out two years later.
– CAJ News