MSF condemns attack, looting of Morobo hospital
The international medical charity, MSF, has strongly condemned the attack on Morobo County Hospital in Central Equatoria State, which it said occurred on the night of Friday.
In a statement dated April 22nd, Médecins Sans Frontières said the armed individuals stole medical supplies, robbed staff of their belongings, and set ablaze two ambulances in the hospital.
It said that no staff or patients sustained physical injuries during this incident.
However, it condemned the incident, saying such acts of violence severely undermine the already fragile provision of critical healthcare services in an area where communities face limited access to essential medical care.
Morobo County Hospital is one of the Ministry of Health facilities supported by MSF in Yei and Morobo Counties.
According to MSF, it’s supporting the maternity unit of the hospital through the provision of medical supplies, medical training, and bedside coaching, as well as contributions to staff salaries.
At the time of the attack, there was no MSF staff at the facility.
MSF said that the volatile security situation in Yei and Morobo counties continues to present persistent challenges for the delivery of medical and humanitarian services.
As such, MSF reduced its outreach services in Yei County due to increased insecurity, which disrupted access to healthcare for many vulnerable communities.
It warned that attacks on healthcare facilities are a grave violation of international humanitarian law and are utterly unacceptable.
MSF urgently calls on all parties to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan to uphold their obligations to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health workers, patients, and medical facilities. Hospitals must never be targeted.
