South Sudan Medical Evacuations Rise Sharply as Conflict Intensifies: ICRC

JUBA — Medical evacuations in South Sudan have risen dramatically as fighting intensifies across the country, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reported, with its emergency teams struggling to keep pace with the growing number of casualties.

The ICRC said it has conducted over 300 medical evacuations in the first half of 2026, a threefold increase compared to the same period last year. The evacuations include both combatants and civilians wounded in the escalating conflict.

Our surgical teams are working around the clock, said an ICRC surgeon based in Juba. We are seeing an alarming number of weapon-related injuries, including from heavy artillery and aerial bombardments.

The rise in medical evacuations reflects the broader deterioration of South Sudan’s security situation. Hospitals in conflict-affected areas have been damaged or destroyed, forcing the ICRC and other humanitarian organizations to airlift the seriously wounded to better-equipped facilities in Juba and other major towns.

In a particularly troubling incident in February 2026, government forces bombarded an MSF hospital in Leer, Unity State, killing several patients and staff. The attack was widely condemned by the international community and highlighted the growing dangers faced by medical personnel and humanitarian workers.

Attacks on healthcare facilities are a violation of international humanitarian law, said an ICRC spokesperson. We call on all parties to the conflict to respect the sanctity of medical missions and ensure safe access for the wounded.

The ICRC has appealed for additional resources to expand its medical evacuation capacity and support the overwhelmed healthcare system in South Sudan.