Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has declared the closure of its hospital in Ulang County, located in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State.
This hospital was the only operational medical center in the area following the conflict between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) and armed civilian groups, which began in Nasir and spread to Ulang.
Numerous NGOs have withdrawn their personnel and halted operations amidst a worsening cholera outbreak. The hospital supported 13 primary healthcare facilities within the county.
On April 14, 2025, MSF suspended its operations in Ulang County due to ongoing threats to its staff and instances of theft. Zakaria Mwatia, the MSF Head of Mission for South Sudan, reports that medicines valued at £135000 euros and other valuables such as laptops were taken from the now-damaged MSF hospital.
“Intruders looted medicines worth £135000, enough to run the hospital. This has left the hospital in ruins and unable to function,” Mwatia stated in a press release.
The Head of Mission notes that the unstable conditions in the country have hindered efforts despite the organization’s fundamental principles of safeguarding staff, patients, and maintaining service integrity.
The clash between SSPDF and the White Army has forced civilians to flee to distant villages, the Ethiopian border, and refugee camps in Ethiopia.
On Monday, Upper Nile State Governor James Koang Chol informed President Salva Kiir Mayardit that peace has returned to the state, allowing civilians who had escaped the violence to come back.
Mwatia comments that residents of Ulang County continue to lack adequate medical care. Governor Koang expressed gratitude to the President on Monday for the air-dropped food supplies in Ulang and Nasir, which he noted have recently benefitted the local population.
