The Director of Mapuordit Hospital said the ongoing clashes around Mapuordit Payam, in Yirol West County of Lakes State, had a negative impact on the activities of the referral hospital and he has never experienced such level of fighting during his ten-year stay at the health facility.
Comboni Brother Rosario Iannetti told, Good News Radio that the tribal differences between a section of Dinka Atuot from Lakes State and that of Jur from Western Equatoria State were evident since February, adding that the conflict turned violent during the last ten days.He said that the fighting is taking place in the proximity of the hospital and that it has affected its normal activities, reducing the number of outpatients by 70 percent.
Dr. Iannetti testified that since the clashes started no Jur patient sought treatment at the hospital.
He added that before the clashes some 20 percent of the patients came from the Jur community.
The conflict has also impeded patients from Lakes Counties like Cueibet, Rumbek and Yirol to reach Mary Immaculate Hospital.
Dr. Iannetti said the victims of this tribal fight suffer from gunshot, spears and arrows wounds.
Dr. Iannetti said the clashes also affected classes at the Mapuordit Campus of the Rumbek Nursing School and the students were taken to Rumbek last week.
He added that many people from the villages are seeking refuge at the mission hospital while the staff sought leave of absence from work to be able to transfer their families to safer places.
The director said that only four staff did not report to work.
Dr. Rosario appealed to the Government of South Sudan to intervene to protect the lives of civilians.
He insisted that it was important for the local governments of Lakes and Western Equatoria to ensure an early resumption of peace talks so that the health, educational and other services of the Church and other Institutions can resume normally at Mapuordit.
The Governors of Lakes State and Western Equatoria were scheduled to meet on Monday to seek the best way out of the skirmishes, but the latter is said to be held up in Nairobi, Kenya.