Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has indefinitely suspended all its activities in Central Equatoria’s Yei area after attack on its staff and a partner organization on Friday afternoon.

In a statement to Eye Radio newsroom Tuesday, MSF said two of its vehicles were ambushed while coming back to the town of Yei from an outreach activity.

The unknown armed men reportedly forced the staff to disembark from their vehicles at gunpoint.

“The armed men then forcibly took an MSF staff and one staff of a partner organization, to the bush, while letting the two remaining MSF staff – the drivers – to proceed with their vehicles.

The attackers looted MSF and abducted two staff who were released 24 hours later.

The medical charity strongly condemned the attack against health workers in an area where it said people already face difficulty accessing healthcare.

MSF cited its South Sudan Head of Mission Iqbal Huda (Tidal) as saying; “We are deeply shocked by this unacceptable attack on the provision of neutral and impartial humanitarian assistance for communities in need.”
The attack prompted MSF to suspend its operations in what will hinder vital health services to the suffering civilians.

“As a result of the attack, our outreach movements and activities to communities surrounding Yei & Morobo have been suspended until we can have concrete guarantees that medical, humanitarian services and lifesaving work can continue unhindered in the area,” he added.

The incident, according to MSF was the third of its kind around Yei in 3 months pointing to a systematic attack on the provision of humanitarian aid.

It called on all armed groups to uphold their responsibilities under international humanitarian law and respect the provision of humanitarian assistance.

“Attacks against humanitarians and healthcare workers are unacceptable and they directly affect the provision of healthcare for communities who desperately need it,” Huda added.