MSF hospital in South Sudan hit by airstrike; worker warns of 'growing trend' of attacks on healthcare

The recent airstrike on a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Lankien, South Sudan, is a deeply disturbing incident that underscores a dangerous and escalating trend of attacks on healthcare facilities worldwide. Lucy Lau, an MSF project coordinator, rightly points out that such attacks, even on facilities clearly marked with the MSF logo, seem to be increasingly deliberate. The targeting of the hospital's main warehouse, destroying vital medical supplies, demonstrates a callous disregard for human life and the principles of humanitarian aid. This incident, blamed on South Sudanese military forces, is not an isolated event. MSF reported eight such targeted attacks in 2025 alone, forcing them to suspend operations in several states. The fact that a hospital, a place of healing and refuge, can be deliberately struck in a conflict zone is appalling. Lau's observation that this feels like a 'growing trend worldwide' is a grave concern for the future of humanitarian work. International bodies must hold perpetrators accountable, as the UN has suggested some previous bombings could amount to war crimes. For South Sudan, a nation already grappling with prolonged instability and conflict, such attacks cripple essential services and further endanger civilians caught in the crossfire. The international community must not turn a blind eye to these violations.

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It was a tactical attack targeting the hospital’s main warehouse, destroying not only the building but also most of the critical supplies stored inside, she said in early April.