7 killed in South Sudan air strikes, with MSF hospital among targets

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said one of its hospitals in South Sudan had been bombed early on Saturday, with at least seven people killed by air strikes in the area.

Advertisement

South Sudan has descended into renewed conflict in recent months due to the collapse of a power-sharing agreement between rival generals, President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar.

MSF said its hospital in Old Fangak in the north of the country had been bombed, destroying its pharmacy and all its medical supplies. A patient and staff member were injured.

“The attack began at around 4.30am (0130 GMT) when two helicopter gunships first dropped a bomb on the MSF pharmacy, burning it to the ground, then went on to fire on the town of Old Fangak for around 30 minutes,” MSF said in a statement.

It said a drone bombed the town’s market at around 7am, leading to at least seven deaths and 20 injured.

Security forces guard Juba International Airport in South Sudan last month before the arrival of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, ahead of meetings aimed at averting a new civil war. Photo: Reuters
Security forces guard Juba International Airport in South Sudan last month before the arrival of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, ahead of meetings aimed at averting a new civil war. Photo: Reuters

“At 8am, we received around 20 wounded people at our hospital in Old Fangak, including four in a critical condition,” said Mamman Mustapha, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.

  

Read More

Leave a Reply