Soudan du Sud : MSF reprend ses activités médicales dans le comté de Yei, dans l’État d’Equatoria central

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has decided to resume its activities in Yei County, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, after a suspension of more than three months.

Due to ongoing concerns related to security instability on the main road axes, including Yei–Morobo, Yei–Lasu, and Yei–Maridi, MSF will limit its physical presence to the Yei Payam area. Consequently, MSF will not resume its outreach activities and will no longer operate in Morobo County but will continue to engage with all parties to find safer and more effective ways to support health facilities located outside the town of Yei.

On August 5, 2025, MSF suspended all its activities in Yei and Morobo counties following a period of alarming insecurity, notably marked by the abduction of an MSF staff member, which occurred just days after the abduction of a Ministry of Health worker from an MSF ambulance. The project will now undergo a major redesign to integrate strict security measures and reduce future risks.

“Providing essential care to mothers in need of safe delivery, to children suffering from malaria , and to people fleeing violence has always been our motivation, and the decision to suspend our activities was a difficult but necessary step,” said Dr. Ferdinand Atte, MSF Country Coordinator for South Sudan. 

“As we begin this gradual resumption of activities, we are adapting our working methods to ensure the safety of our staff, but our commitment remains the same — to be present, to provide care to communities in need, in full neutrality and impartiality.”

Central Equatoria State remains one of the areas most affected by violence in South Sudan. The growing number of internally displaced people in Yei town, fleeing ongoing clashes, adds to those already in urgent need of medical assistance. Access to healthcare services continues to deteriorate, leaving the most vulnerable without solutions.

This newly redesigned project aims to strengthen emergency and maternal care in Yei Payam, focusing on primary and secondary healthcare. It will provide targeted support to Yei Civil Hospital, including the modernization of the maternity ward and operating theater, to ensure the performance of cesarean sections and other life-saving surgical procedures.

Support for primary healthcare will continue at the Jansuk clinic, which currently receives the highest number of patients in Yei County. MSF will also expand essential services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Yei, through a community-based approach and by supporting the integrated “one-stop center” at Yei Hospital.

“To reduce the risks that led to the project’s suspension, the outreach component will remain completely halted for the time being. This means that direct support and field activities in remote primary healthcare centers, including the Boma Health Initiative, are suspended,” added Dr. Atte. 

“While we deeply regret the impact this may have on communities living far from Yei town, we cannot compromise our staff’s safety. We will continue engaging with all stakeholders to find, in the future, safer ways to support facilities located outside Yei.”