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MSF RESUMES OPERATION IN YEI

Yei, South Sudan — Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has resumed limited medical operations in Yei County after temporarily suspending its activities due to security concerns earlier this year.

According to MSF officials, the partial resumption focuses on providing essential healthcare services, including maternal and child health, treatment of malaria, and emergency response for vulnerable populations. The organization emphasized that the decision follows weeks of assessment and engagement with local authorities and community leaders to ensure the safety of staff and patients.

“Providing much-needed care to mothers needing a safe delivery, children with malaria, and people fleeing violence has always been our motivation,” said Dr. Ferdinand Atte, MSF’s country coordinator in South Sudan. “As we begin this phased resumption, we are changing how we work to keep our staff safe, but our commitment remains the same — to provide neutral and impartial care to communities in need.”

The redesigned project will focus on emergency and maternal healthcare at Yei Civil Hospital, including upgrades to the maternity ward and operating theatre to enable caesarean sections and other life-saving surgeries. MSF will also continue supporting Jansuk Clinic, which serves the largest number of patients in the county.

In addition, MSF will expand support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through community-based initiatives and the one-stop centre at Yei Hospital.

“To mitigate the risks that led to our earlier suspension, the outreach component will remain suspended, meaning no direct support to remote primary healthcare centres or the Boma Health Initiative for now,” Atte said. “While we regret the impact on communities far from Yei town, we cannot compromise staff safety.”

MSF had suspended its operations in Yei following a series of security incidents that affected humanitarian access and endangered medical personnel. The pause disrupted vital medical services in the region, where many communities rely heavily on humanitarian support.

“Providing much-needed care to mothers needing a safe delivery, children with malaria, and people fleeing violence has always been our motivation,” said Dr. Ferdinand Atte, MSF’s country coordinator in South Sudan. “As we begin this phased resumption, we are changing how we work to keep our staff safe, but our commitment remains the same — to provide neutral and impartial care to communities in need.”

Local residents have welcomed the organization’s return, expressing hope that full services will soon be restored as stability improves in the area.

MSF reaffirmed its commitment to providing impartial medical care to all those in need and called for continued cooperation from all parties to ensure safe humanitarian access.