Bombing destroys last functional health facility in Jonglei State, South Sudan
In a statement, the organisation condemned the attack, which began at approximately 4:30 am when two helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on the hospital’s pharmacy, setting it ablaze. The aircraft then continued to fire on the town of Old Fangak for around 30 minutes.
The last remaining functional health facility in Old Fangak, Jonglei State, South Sudan, was severely damaged in a bombing early on Saturday morning, resulting in the destruction of its pharmacy and the loss of all medical supplies.
This was confirmed by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders, which operates the hospital that had been providing life-saving care to over 110,000 people in the county.
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In a statement, the organisation condemned the attack, which began at approximately 4:30 am when two helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on the hospital’s pharmacy, setting it ablaze. The aircraft then continued to fire on the town of Old Fangak for around 30 minutes.
At around 7 am, a drone bombed the Old Fangak market, resulting in at least seven fatalities and 20 injuries.
"At 8 am, we received around 20 wounded people at our hospital in Old Fangak, including four in critical condition," said Mamman Mustapha, MSF’s Head of Mission in South Sudan, amid reports of additional casualties in the community.
He added that one patient and two caregivers, including one MSF staff member who were already inside the hospital, were injured in the attack. Other patients, who were not critically ill, fled the facility in panic.
"The bombing of our hospital in Old Fangak has caused significant damage, including the complete destruction of the pharmacy, which was burned to the ground. This was where all our medical supplies for both the hospital and our outreach activities were stored, severely compromising our ability to provide care. We strongly condemn this attack, which occurred despite the geolocation of all MSF structures—including Old Fangak Hospital—being shared with all parties to the conflict," Mustapha said.
The organisation is still assessing the full extent of the damage and whether it will impact the continuation of medical services to the community.
The attack is expected to further limit access to essential, life-saving treatment for residents in the area.
"We call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure—including health workers, patients, and health facilities. Hospitals must never be targeted, and the lives of civilians must be safeguarded," MSF urged.
This is the second MSF hospital to be affected in the past month. On April 14, armed looters raided the organisation’s hospital and premises in Ulang, Upper Nile State, cutting off the entire population of Ulang County from accessing secondary healthcare.
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