from ANYANG GARANG in Juba, South Sudan
South Sudan Bureau
JUBA, (CAJ News) – MÉDECINS Sans Frontières (MSF) has suspended activities in Yei River and Morobo counties in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria state.
This follows the abduction of health workers.
An MSF staff member has been kidnapped, four days after the abduction of health ministry staff from an MSF ambulance.
In the latest incident, armed militants disturbed an evacuation of MSF staff from Morobo to Yei amid deteriorating security conditions.
The four-vehicle convoy was stopped and the MSF staff member, who was serving as the team leader of the convoy, forced out of the vehicle and pulled him into the thickets.
“We are outraged by this targeted attack. Attacks on humanitarian workers serving the most vulnerable members of the society must stop,” said Dr Ferdinand Atte, MSF’s head of mission in South Sudan.
“While we are deeply committed to providing care to those in need, we cannot keep our staff working in an unsafe environment.”
This abduction is part of a trend of targeted violence on healthcare and aid workers in these counties.
In three months, several incidents of violence targeting aid workers and healthcare facilities have been reported in Morobo.
These include abductions, arson, violent looting of hospitals, and damage to medical infrastructure.
Seven of these incidents involved the abduction of aid workers.-
– CAJ News