A healthcare facility run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in South Sudan’s Jonglei State has come under airstrike, the humanitarian organisation has confirmed.

The attack took place on Wednesday morning, 3 December, in the town of Pieri, located in Uror County, an area largely under the control of the SPLA-IO.

In a statement shared with The Tower Post on Thursday evening, MSF said its staff discovered bullet impacts on structures inside the Pieri clinic after what it described as an assault by a gunship helicopter.

MSF added that shortly after the Pieri strike, its teams witnessed additional air attacks in nearby Lankien, where the organisation also manages medical services. No damage was reported in Lankien, which lies in Nyirol County.

On Wednesday, The Tower Post reported that the army had launched aerial bombardments in parts of Ayod, Nyirol, and Uror counties on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Simon Hoth Dual, Jonglei State’s Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement, confirmed hearing explosions but said authorities were still gathering information on possible casualties and destruction.

MSF said all its staff members in both locations are safe, and no injuries linked to the airstrikes have been recorded. The organisation stressed that the Pieri clinic provides the only medical care available to vulnerable communities there, while the Lankien hospital is the region’s sole secondary healthcare facility.

This latest incident adds to a series of attacks on MSF operations in South Sudan in 2025, which earlier forced the closure of facilities in Old Fangak and Ulang.

“The recent airstrike reflects a deeply troubling pattern where healthcare centres are repeatedly struck or endangered amid ongoing violence,” said Emmerson Gono, MSF’s Deputy Head of Mission in South Sudan. “We urge immediate protection for medical facilities, staff, and patients.”

Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang was not immediately available for comment.

MSF operates one of its largest global medical programmes in South Sudan, responding to health needs driven by conflict, displacement, flooding, and frequent disease outbreaks. The organisation warns that reduced international funding and a fragile national health system are worsening the humanitarian situation.