03/05/2025
BREAKING NEWS
Aerial strikes on Saturday destroyed the only medical facility serving some 40,000 residents of Old Fangak in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, killing at least seven people and wounding 25, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and local authorities report.
Fangak County Commissioner Biel Butros Biel confirmed to the Associated Press that a 9-month-old child was among the fatalities. He said that assessments of the full extent of damage and casualties remain ongoing.
An anonymous MSF spokesperson stated that the hospital was struck shortly after 4 a.m. local time, obliterating the pharmacy and all medical supplies. In a statement on X, MSF’s head of mission condemned the attack as “a clear violation of international humanitarian law,” emphasizing that this facility is the only source of care for displaced families affected by recent flooding.
Hours later, further airstrikes near Old Fangak’s market sent civilians fleeing in panic. The region, predominantly inhabited by the Nuer community, has long been linked to opposition elements loyal to Vice President Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest.
Since March, government forces—bolstered by Ugandan troops—have intensified air campaigns against opposition-held areas across Upper Nile State, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. South Sudan’s military has not responded to requests for comment.
