South Sudan’s government blocks humanitarian access in opposition-held areas

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) denounces restrictions on humanitarian access that the government of South Sudan has imposed exclusively in parts of the opposition-held areas of Jonglei state. 

These restrictions limit MSF’s ability to deliver essential medical assistance for communities, which can have particularly dangerous consequences for children, pregnant women, and people living with chronic or life-threatening conditions.

MSF helped evacuate six people who were seriously injured in early December in Uror county after violent clashes. | South Sudan 2025 © MSF

Critically ill patients are at risk of death

These restrictions have been in place since December 2025, and include Lankien, Pieri, and Akobo. This means that all humanitarian flights are suspended, making it difficult or impossible to distribute medical and other critical supplies and personnel where needed. As of January 29, at least 23 critically ill patients from Lankien and Pieri are in urgent need of referrals, and their lives are at immediate risk.

"Patients will die if the government continues to block humanitarian and medical access in Jonglei,” said Abdalla Hussein, MSF program manager for South Sudan. “Imposing restrictions on humanitarian aid and preventing people from accessing health care is a crude political maneuver. Ultimately, it is the civilians who pay the price. This must stop immediately.”

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"It is unacceptable to hear statements from authority figures openly suggesting that mass violence against civilians and their forced displacement should be employed," said Hussein. "We call upon the government to act and urgently reassure the protection of civilians."

An MSF health care facility in the town of Pieri, Jonglei state, was hit in an airstrike on December 3. | South Sudan 2025 © MSF

MSF has been forced to evacuate some staff and reduce services

Following the restrictions, MSF has been forced to evacuate staff from Lankien and Akobo, and limit medical services in these facilities and those in Pieri to emergency and lifesaving care only. On January 29, MSF’s team in Pieri was also forced to leave the facility due to the imminent danger of armed conflict. We had to discharge most of our patients, grab emergency kits, and flee with the local community.

MSF is the only health provider serving about 250,000 people in Lankien and Pieri, and another 112,000 in Akobo. This means that almost 400,000 people will be left without any health care if the government refuses to grant MSF access and we are forced to leave the area.

Patients will die if the government continues to block humanitarian and medical access in Jonglei.

Abdalla Hussein, MSF desk manager for South Sudan

"Ongoing conflict and displacement in Jonglei are further increasing the vulnerability of civilians, creating new and urgent humanitarian needs on top of already limited health care services,” said Gul Badshah, MSF operations manager for South Sudan. "MSF reminds all armed groups and political actors that they share the responsibility to protect civilians, humanitarian and medical personnel, and health care facilities. Attacks, threats, and interference with medical activities put lives at risk and must stop.”

The worsening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan needs urgent international prioritization. Communities face overlapping crises, and the current response is not meeting the rising needs across the country. If MSF is unable to resupply our medical facilities during the dry season — while roads are still accessible — the consequences will be even more dramatic, and the humanitarian crisis to follow will be catastrophic.

Dr. Isaac Batali examines patient Duop Chuol, who had a septic injury in the leg and is being treated at the MSF hospital in Lankien. | South Sudan 2022 © Paul Odongo/MSF

MSF in South Sudan 

MSF has been present in what is today South Sudan since 1983 and remains one of the largest medical humanitarian agencies in the country. We operate in seven states and two administrative areas. In 2025, MSF provided more than 830,000 outpatient consultations; inpatient care for over 93,000 patients, including 12,000 surgeries; screened 107,000 children for malnutrition; and performed critical referrals across the country. Sustained and predictable humanitarian access is essential to maintain lifesaving services and prevent further deterioration of health outcomes for communities in Jonglei state.

Source: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/south-sudans-government-blocks-humanitarian-access-opposition-held-areas