South Sudan’s healthcare system is facing a catastrophic collapse as renewed conflict and foreign aid cuts exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports a significant increase in attacks on medical facilities, including the deliberate bombing of a hospital and pharmacy in Old Fangak, Jonglei State, on 3 May 2025. The assault, which killed at least seven people and injured over twenty, has been condemned by the United Nations as a potential war crime.
The ongoing clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar have led to mass displacement, with tens of thousands fleeing their homes. MSF warns that only half of South Sudan’s medical facilities were operational even before the recent escalation, and the situation is deteriorating rapidly.
Compounding the crisis, recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid have forced organizations like Save the Children to close or scale back critical health services. In Jonglei State, seven out of 27 clinics have been shut down, and others have reduced services, leading to tragic outcomes. In April, eight people, including five children, died after walking for hours in extreme heat to seek treatment for cholera, following the closure of nearby health facilities.
“There should be global moral outrage that the decisions made by powerful people in other countries have led to child deaths in just a matter of weeks,” said Christopher Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director in South Sudan.
With over 8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and a healthcare system on the verge of collapse, urgent international intervention is required to prevent further loss of life and to restore essential medical services in South Sudan.
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