MSF strongly condemns the looting of its medical centre in Pibor, South Sudan which occurred during and after heavy fighting from February 23 to 25, which also destroyed large sections of the town. Medical supplies, therapeutic food for malnourished children and even patients’ beds were stolen from the MSF facility during the looting. Bullet casings were found throughout the compound and the few items that were not stolen, such as IV bags, life-saving drugs and medical documents, were damaged and strewn throughout the compound with no regard for the urgent medical needs of the population.
The MSF medical centre was one of only two functional health centres in the entire region. It was also the hub from which MSF ran its medical services in nearby Gumuruk and Lekongole. Cumulatively, these projects serve a population of approximately 170,000 people. As a result of this callous looting, MSF’s ability to provide medical assistance in all three locations has been significantly reduced and crisis-affected populations now confront the possibility of significant avoidable disease and death. The medical crisis faced by the population is compounded by major destruction and widespread looting within Pibor. Throughout town, many shelters have been looted, burnt, or destroyed and the market is completely empty.
As fighting consumed Pibor on 23 February, the MSF team was at risk of being caught in crossfire as heavy gunfire approached the compound. The team moved to the UNMISS (UN Mission in South Sudan) compound where they supported treatment of 36 wounded patients. Presently, the MSF team is treating 140 patients per day in the UNMISS site. Almost two thirds of MSF’s patients are children under five years old, suffering from malaria, respiratory tract infection and diarrhea.