UN condemns MSF hospital bombing in South Sudan as war crime
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At least seven people were killed and 20 others injured when two helicopter gunships reportedly dropped a bomb on the facility's pharmacy at around 4:30 am, setting it ablaze.
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A fire burns following an aerial bombardment that resulted in casualties at the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières run facility, destroying the last remaining hospital and pharmacy in the northern town of Old Fangak in Fangak county, South Sudan, May 3, 2025. (MSF)
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has strongly denounced a deadly bombing on a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital and pharmacy in Fangak county over the weekend, describing it as a premeditated assault that could constitute a war crime.
At least seven people were killed and 20 others injured when two helicopter gunships reportedly dropped a bomb on the facility's pharmacy at around 4:30 a.m., setting it ablaze. The hospital itself was damaged shortly thereafter, followed by a separate drone strike that targeted the town's market in Old Fangak, located in the Greater Upper Nile region.
MSF confirmed that the hospital, one of the few operating in the flood-affected, conflict-ridden area, served more than 110,000 displaced residents and dependent on humanitarian aid. The destruction has left thousands without access to critical medical care.
"This was not a tragic accident. It was a calculated, unlawful attack on a protected medical facility," said Yasmin Sooka, chair of the UN commission. She added, "The aerial bombing of the MSF hospital in Old Fangak is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and could amount to a war crime ... Targeting medical facilities and services violates the Geneva Conventions and represents a direct assault on foundations of humanitarian action that are intended to protect civilians in conflict zones."
The bombing of the @MSF_SouthSudan hospital in Old Fangak may amount to a war crime
— UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (@UNCHRSS) May 6, 2025
The attack reflects growing impunity and disregard for human life@SouthSudanGov #SSoT pic.twitter.com/BBJRjKoyaZ
While no party has claimed responsibility, the attack came amid intensified clashes between government forces, reportedly backed by Ugandan troops, and an ethnic militia allegedly aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar. The pattern of recent airstrikes across opposition-controlled areas has sparked concern among international observers and humanitarian groups.
Read more: South Sudan opposition claims new military attack by government
South Sudanese authorities, including Information Minister Michael Makuei, have not yet commented on the incident. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and several Western governments, including those of the US, UK, Germany, and Norway, along with the European Union, have issued statements condemning the bombing and calling for restraint.
The escalation follows the March house arrest of Machar, who stands accused by the government of plotting to launch a new rebellion. Though a peace agreement in 2018 formally ended South Sudan's five-year civil war, the latest developments have raised fears of renewed conflict and further deterioration of humanitarian conditions in the region.
