Médecins Sans Frontières has accused the government of South Sudan of blocking humanitarian access to opposition-controlled areas amid escalating conflict in the country.
In a report released on Tuesday, the aid organisation said all parties involved in the ongoing violence are increasingly exploiting humanitarian assistance for political and military purposes.
Clashes between the national army and fighters loyal to detained First Vice President Riek Machar have intensified since last year, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes in opposition-held territories.
MSF said it had documented “a concerning trend of access blockages, recurring coercive letters and evacuation orders by the Government of South Sudan directed at civilians and humanitarian organisations in contested and SPLA-IO controlled locations.”
The organisation also warned that aid is being manipulated by all sides to advance military and political objectives, including attempts to force non-governmental organisations to relocate supplies in ways that restrict access to vulnerable communities.
According to MSF, such restrictions are depriving entire populations of life-saving medical assistance in areas already facing severe insecurity and displacement.
Calls to government and military spokespeople were not immediately returned, and representatives of the SPLA-IO opposition group could not be reached.
The medical charity further reported that attacks on its facilities, including hospital bombings in 2025 and early 2026, have severely impacted healthcare delivery, leaving an estimated 762,000 people without access to medical services.
MSF said that during the February attack in Jonglei state, only government forces were believed to have the capacity to carry out aerial strikes.
The renewed violence has drawn international concern, with UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warning earlier this year that South Sudan was approaching a “dangerous point”.
MSF also reported treating more than 1,800 conflict-related injuries in January and February alone, nearly 30 per cent of its total caseload for the previous year.
Patients suffered gunshot wounds, blast injuries, sexual violence, and other forms of attack linked to the conflict.
South Sudan’s 2018 peace agreement had ended a five-year civil war between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with Machar, a war that claimed nearly 400,000 lives.
However, renewed tensions following Machar’s arrest last year have raised fears of a return to full-scale conflict.
Machar and several others are currently on trial on charges including treason, which they deny.
Humanitarian agencies continue to warn that restricted access and escalating violence could further worsen one of the world’s most fragile humanitarian situations.
