Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
02 February 2026

An MSF vehicle is moving with staff in Atam, where thousands of displaced people from Sudan are residing.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has issued a strong warning that government restrictions on humanitarian access in South Sudan could cost lives, as nearly 400,000 people in opposition-held parts of Jonglei State face the risk of being cut off from healthcare.

MSF Operations Manager Gul Badshah told Radio Islam International the situation has worsened since late December, when fighting erupted in Jonglei and authorities-imposed restrictions that halted humanitarian flights.

“As we know that since December there has been fighting in Jonglei State of South Sudan,” Badshah said, noting MSF has multiple projects in the area. “Since end of December, we have seen that the government of South Sudan has imposed humanitarian access restrictions on these areas.”

Badshah explained MSF operates in Lankien, Piri, Fangak and Akobo, but access has been severely limited for over a month.

“The restrictions have halted humanitarian flights, preventing MSF and other humanitarian organisations from delivering critical medical supplies and personnel,” he said. “As a result, MSF had to evacuate its essential staff from the project areas.”

With flights grounded, MSF says it has been forced to provide reduced services at health facilities, while running dangerously low on essential medical supplies. Badshah stressed MSF is the only healthcare provider for much of the population in these hard-to-reach areas.

“Our coverage population is almost 400,000 and we are the only sole medical healthcare provider for that population in that area,” he said.

Badshah warned the restrictions have left critically ill patients without access to referrals, particularly women, children and elderly people who require urgent tertiary care.

“We have critical patients requiring tertiary care elsewhere and we cannot fly them out, unfortunately, because we are not allowed to fly,” he said, warning that patients waiting for referrals face “the risk of losing them or maybe having disability for the whole life.”

He clarified that most people being served are local South Sudanese residents, rather than refugees.

“They are not necessarily refugees,” Badshah said. “They are the local population of South Sudan that we are currently serving now.”

Badshah highlighted that the current dry season is a crucial window for humanitarian organisations to pre-position supplies for the year, before seasonal rains make roads and airstrips inaccessible.

“There is always a small window of opportunity between January, February and April, May,” he said. “We usually pre-position all our supply for the whole year.”

He warned that if MSF cannot access Jonglei during this period, the organisation may be forced to suspend services for the rest of the year.

“This would drastically worsen the humanitarian crisis and leave thousands of people without access to essential health care for the coming one year,” he said.

MSF has called on the South Sudanese government to immediately lift restrictions and urged the international community to intensify pressure for sustained humanitarian access.

“We have tried every avenue,” Badshah said. “MSF has called on the government of South Sudan to immediately lift the humanitarian access restrictions.”

He added: “We urge the international community to advocate for sustained predictable humanitarian access to prevent further loss of life.”

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Gul Badshah.