Southern Sudan: Population Flees Pibor Town After Fighting Breaks Out

MSF evacuates due to high level of insecurity

MSF has been forced to make the decision to temporarily evacuate its team, as the insecurity in and around the town has reached dangerous levels. MSF is the only healthcare provider in Pibor town.

The population of Pibor town in Jonglei State, Southern Sudan, has fled the area after fresh clashes broke out on Tuesday, May 19. Fearing more violent attacks, patients at the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-run hospital in Pibor have also fled.

MSF has been forced to temporarily evacuate its team, as the insecurity in and around the town has reached dangerous levels. MSF is the only healthcare provider in Pibor town.

The fighting began after a local tribe shot and wounded a soldier from Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) rebel group. This recent clash is part of a series of escalating inter-tribal attacks between various groups occuring in and outside of Jonglei State, eg. most recently in Upper Nile State, resulting in the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of thousands of people in the region.