Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced on Tuesday that it has suspended its medical activities in Yei, South Sudan, following an attack on its staff.

The charity organization, known in English as Doctors Without Borders, recounted the incident that occurred on Friday, September 20, when armed men force personnel out of their vehicle at gunpoint and then looted the MSF vehicles. Two staff members were released, while two others were taken hostage and freed 24 hours later.

MSF has been operating in the conflict-ridden area, where violence is driven by armed groups, since 1983. It also provides healthcare to displaced and remote communities, both in the region and across the country. According to the press release, the recent attack on personnel is the third incident in the region within the past three months, severely hindering the ability to provide medical assistance. It also emphasized that activities cannot resume until the safety of their staff is assured.

Iqbal Huda, MSF head of mission in South Sudan, stressed:

As a result of the attack, our outreach movements and activities to communities surrounding Yei and Morobo have been suspended until we can have concrete guarantees that medical, humanitarian services and lifesaving work can continue unhindered in the area.

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has caused growing concern in recent years, given the records of violence against humanitarian aid workers in the country. The economic situation in the country remains turbulent, aggravated by a civil war in 2018 and inter-group violence, leading to further inaccessibility in healthcare.