Doctors Without Borders

Photo: Displaced people bathe at a water pump in a camp outside Sittwe in Rakhine state. Myanmar 2013 © Kaung Htet

Myanmar: Violence and Intimidation Leave Tens of Thousands Without Medical Care

Eight months after deadly communal clashes broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, tens of thousands of people are still unable to access urgently needed medical care.

MSF calls on government authorities and community leaders to ensure that all people of Rakhine can live without fear of violence, abuse and harassment, and that humanitarian organizations can assist those most in need.

“It is among people living in makeshift camps in rice fields or other crowded strips of land that MSF is seeing the most acute medical needs,” said Arjan Hehenkamp, MSF general director. “Ongoing insecurity and repeated threats and intimidation by a small but vocal group within the Rakhine community have severely impacted on our ability to deliver lifesaving medical care.”