An airstrike struck a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in South Sudan’s Jonglei state late Tuesday, destroying critical medical supplies and infrastructure.
The hospital in Lankien serves more than 200,000 people, many in remote areas with no alternative access to healthcare.
MSF said the attack destroyed the facility’s main warehouse, wiping out most essential medicines and emergency equipment.
The charity said South Sudanese government forces were the only actors in the country capable of carrying out aerial attacks.
Jonglei’s information minister declined comment, referring questions to the army, whose spokesperson did not respond to requests.
One MSF staff member suffered minor injuries, while patients had been evacuated hours earlier after warnings of a possible attack.
Earlier the same day, MSF said its health facility in Pieri, also in Jonglei, was looted by unknown assailants.
The looting rendered the Pieri facility unusable, further deepening a health crisis in a region already scarred by violence.
MSF said it is the sole healthcare provider for around 250,000 people across Lankien and Pieri.
Fighting has intensified across South Sudan for months, reaching levels unseen since 2017, according to the United Nations.
Some of the fiercest clashes are in Jonglei, near the Ethiopian border, involving government forces and SPLA-IO fighters.
Last month, the military ordered civilians, UN personnel and aid groups to evacuate three Jonglei counties.
The UN says recent fighting has displaced at least 180,000 people, reviving fears of a return to civil war.
South Sudan’s 2013–2018 conflict, largely fought along ethnic lines, claimed about 400,000 lives.
