“They killed them while we were Running” - Escalating Violence in South Sudan May 2026

Country: South Sudan Source: Médecins Sans Frontières Please refer to the attached file. Attacks on healthcare and civilians, rape, hunger: South Sudan is at a breaking point Juba, 19 May 2026 – Indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures – including bombing hospitals – forced recruitment, sexual violence, access constraints and shrinking humanitarian space are realities for people in South Sudan, as described by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in their report on escalating violence in the country, “They Killed Them While We Were Running”. The report details that a total of 12 attacks on MSF staff and facilities left an estimated 762,000 people without the access to healthcare between January 2025 and April 2026. MSF calls on the government of South Sudan, the Sudan’s People Liberation Army – In Opposition (SPLA-IO), and all parties to the conflict to protect and respect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including healthcare, must never be targeted; direct attacks against them constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL). Under IHL, all parties have an obligation to respect and protect civilians and to avoid the use of indiscriminate or disproportionate force, including the use of airstrikes and incendiary weapons in populated areas. “I ran away with my child. I could see the village burning from afar,” says a woman who was displaced and treated at an MSF facility in Chuil, Jonglei state. “They set houses on fire. They burned my grandmother inside the tukul [traditional house]. The elderly stayed behind, they could not run with us. They killed the elders.” Both targeted and indiscriminate attacks conducted by the government and opposition forces and other armed actors are increasingly harming people ...

Original source: Relief Web