It is with great sadness that Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirms the death of David Deng Aleu, a South Sudanese nurse that worked in the MSF hospital in Agok. David was killed inside his home on Thursday 10 February when intercommunal fighting broke out in Agok, a town in Abyei Administrative Area, which is a contested zone located on the border between South Sudan and Sudan.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of our colleague and express our heartfelt condolences to David’s family and friends,” said Gouranga Manna, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan. “We strongly condemn this act of violence which has led to the tragic loss of lives in the community.”

As fighting broke out, people fled to the surrounding bush and other towns for safety. Among them were several members of our staff that work at our hospital. As a result, we have been forced to temporarily suspend operations at the hospital, with the 24 patients that were receiving medical treatment transferred to a hospital in Abyei.

MSF remains committed to delivering medical assistance to the people of Agok. We are continuing to maintain a presence in the community to ensure access to essential medical care.

“MSF’s principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality mean that we provide medical care to any person in urgent need, regardless of their ethnicity, political affiliations or any other factor,” said Gouranga Manna. “We call for respect and safety of our medical teams so that we can continue to provide these lifesaving services.”