Doctors without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has called on armed groups in South Sudan’s Leer County to respect international humanitarian laws and cease targeting civilians and health facilities in the area.
MSF’s Head of Mission for South Sudan, Federica Franco, made the call following the killing of dozens of civilians, including MSF staff member, Peter Tap.
It is understood that Mathor is the second MSF staff member who has been killed in Leer due to extreme violence since December 2021.
‘We are shocked and profoundly saddened by the tragic death of our colleague Peter. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends’, Franco said in a statement.
‘We strongly condemn the indiscriminate violence being carried out by armed groups who have killed and injured many innocent people in Leer, including those most vulnerable, such as children, the elderly and persons with disabilities’.
Tap had been working with MSF in Leer since 2007, initially as senior department supervisor at the former MSF hospital, and more recently as a nursing care provider in one of MSF’s community-based healthcare (CBHC) facilities.
The violence has also impeded the provision of vital medical services to the affected communities. Of the six CBHC facilities MSF operates in Leer, three are now non-functional, as one facility was partially destroyed and two others looted.
‘The level of atrocities witnessed, the persisting fear of being attacked, and the widespread destruction of medical facilities are severely affecting access to health care and even health-seeking behaviours, as people are reluctant to travel to search for treatment’, Franco added.
‘Thousands of people displaced are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and medical care. We call on all armed groups to respect international humanitarian law and immediately cease targeting civilians and health facilities’.
Despite the recent attacks, MSF says it will continue to ensure people can access much-needed medical care as the clinic in Leer town and the three remaining CBHCs will continue to operate.
Source: MSF
Photo source: MSF
