Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has condemned the looting of its medical centre in Pibor, South Sudan which occurred during and after heavy fighting from February 23 to 25, which also destroyed large sections of the town.

Medical supplies, therapeutic food for malnourished children and beds were stolen during the looting. Bullet casings were found throughout the MSF compound and the few items that were not stolen, such as IV bags, life-saving drugs and medical documents, were damaged and strewn throughout the compound, according to MSF.

The MSF medical centre was the only functioning health centre in the entire region. It was also the hub from which MSF ran its medical services in nearby Gumuruk and Lekongole.

“Cumulatively, these projects serve a population of approximately 170,000 people. As a result of this callous looting, MSF’s ability to provide medical assistance in all three locations has been significantly reduced and crisis-affected populations now confront the possibility of significant avoidable disease and death,” MSF said in a statement yesterday.

This week, MSF completed an assessment mission to Verthet, where teams stabilized three patients with gunshot wounds and found that there are “significant unmet health needs.”

MSF said as its team works to resume a short-term emergency response in the looted health centre in Pibor, its ability to maintain outreach medical activities in the villages of Gumuruk and Lekwongole are negatively impacted.

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Photos: Looting in Pibor town, South Sudan