MSF Hospital in South Sudan Bombed and Destroyed Amid Escalating Civil Conflict

An exclusive report by The Guardian reveals the devastating destruction of an 80-bed Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Lankien, Jonglei State, South Sudan. On February 3, a government aircraft dropped a bomb on the facility, which was subsequently burned and looted during a ground invasion that turned the town into a ghost town. An MSF team returning in late April witnessed the shocking extent of the damage, including charred medical supplies and collapsed structures. The hospital, operational for over three decades, was the region's only secondary healthcare center, serving approximately 250,000 people with critical maternal, pediatric, and emergency care. This incident highlights a growing trend of violence against healthcare infrastructure as civil conflict intensifies between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the opposition SPLM-IO. Since December 2025, fighting has displaced over 304,000 civilians in Jonglei alone. UN officials have condemned the indiscriminate attacks and the near-total disregard for civilian protection by both sides, noting severe humanitarian consequences including lack of medication and widespread suffering among the local population.