By Riak Chol

Medical charity organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has expressed deep concern over the safety of its staff following a recent escalation of violence in Lankien and Pieri areas of Jonglei State, leaving 26 aid workers unaccounted for.

In a statement issued on Monday, MSF said that out of 291 colleagues working in the two locations, it has lost contact with 26 staff members amid ongoing insecurity and limited communication networks.

According to the medical charity, staff had already evacuated the hospital compound in Lankien as tensions escalated and reports of a possible attack on the town emerged. However, after the evacuation, MSF was unable to confirm the whereabouts of all its employees.

“Communication networks in the Lankien and Pieri areas are extremely limited,” the organization said, noting that many staff fled into remote bush areas for safety, where connectivity is virtually nonexistent.

“Our loss of contact may be linked to the absence of connectivity. However, we are seriously concerned that some of our colleagues may be facing very difficult conditions that prevent them from communicating with us.”

The violence has not only disrupted humanitarian operations but has also directly impacted the very health workers providing care. MSF said several of its staff were forced to flee alongside their families and are now displaced in remote areas with little access to food, water, or basic services.

The insecurity has forced MSF to suspend medical activities serving approximately 250,000 people across Lankien and Pieri, leaving vulnerable communities without essential healthcare.

“This violence has taken an unbearable toll not only on healthcare services but on the very people who keep them running. Medical workers must never be targets,” said Yashovardhan, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.

“We are deeply concerned about what has happened to our colleagues and the communities we serve. Where security conditions allow, we have initiated emergency support in areas where people have sought refuge. We are also taking steps to support our staff during this period.”

MSF said it is making every possible effort to re-establish contact with the missing staff and to provide assistance to affected employees and their families.

The organization emphasized that the safety and security of its teams remain its highest priority.

The medical charity reiterated its call for the protection of healthcare facilities, patients, and medical personnel at all times, warning that attacks on healthcare deprive already vulnerable and underserved communities of life-saving services.