Medical Charity steps up medical assistance in Jonglei state, Upper Nile

BOR — The international medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has launched an emergency medical response in Jonglei and Upper Nile States following a recent surge in violence that has displaced tens of thousands of people.

The intervention targets Yakuach, Pathiel, and Thanakuach in Chuil Payam of Nyirol County, as well as Barmach and Nyangore in Ulang County of Upper Nile.

According to MSF, medical aid will reach more than 25,000 people who fled renewed fighting in Lankien and Ulang of Upper Nile State.

Many displaced families are sheltering in makeshift settlements without access to basic services, while others are living under the open sky.

“The escalation of violence has left thousands of people without access to basic healthcare services at a time when needs are rapidly increasing,” MSF said in a statement issued on Friday.

The medical charity said they are working to restore lifesaving medical care in the most affected areas.

In Chuil, MSF teams are upgrading the primary healthcare center by expanding inpatient bed capacity and strengthening essential services.

“The facility is now providing outpatient consultations, maternal healthcare, nutrition support, inpatient treatment, and trauma stabilization for wounded patients, while critically ill cases are being referred to hospitals in Malakal and Akobo.”

On the night of 26 February, MSF teams assisted the first safe delivery at the facility—a milestone the organization described as critical in restoring essential services.

“The first safe delivery in Chuil marks an important step in bringing back vital maternal health services to a community that has endured weeks of disruption.”

At the Yakuach health post, MSF has commenced outpatient consultations, offering reproductive healthcare and nutrition services for children under the age of five.

During the initial day of operations, 127 consultations were carried out, and five critical patients were referred to Chuil Primary Healthcare Centre, it said.

It said the communities along the Sobat River remain heavily affected by conflict and face mounting humanitarian needs.

MSF welcomed the mobilization of other aid agencies but stressed that more support is urgently required.

“Humanitarian access must be ensured and maintained,” MSF emphasized. “Civilians, healthcare facilities, and medical workers must be protected at all times, and access to care must never be obstructed.”

The organization warned that rising cholera cases in nearby areas pose a serious risk of spreading to displacement sites, including Chuil and other payams, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated intervention across Jonglei and Upper Nile states.