Doctors Without Borders halts operations in 2 South Sudanese counties after 2nd staffer abducted

ISTANBUL

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has suspended operations in two South Sudanese counties for at least six weeks after a second staffer was kidnapped in less than a week, the medical charity said Tuesday.

The abduction occurred four days after a Health Ministry staffer was taken from an MSF ambulance on the same road as the earlier incident, though they were released hours later, MSF said in a statement.

Gunmen stopped an MSF convoy during an evacuation from the Morobo to Yei River counties, seizing the team leader while allowing the rest of the team to continue, it said.

Expressing outrage about the attack, Ferdinand Atte, MSF head of mission in South Sudan, urged an end to attacks targeting humanitarian workers.

“While we are deeply committed to providing care to those in need, we cannot keep our staff working in an unsafe environment,” he said.

The abduction marks the second time in less than three months that MSF has scaled back medical services in the area, after reducing activities in May because of rising insecurity and suspending operations in internally displaced persons camps in Morobo county amid violence.​​​​​​​