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Myanmar: At least 30 people killed in airstrike on hospital in Mrauk-U

11 Dec 25

Myanmar: At least 30 people killed in airstrike on hospital in Mrauk-U

Today, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) learned of the bombing and destruction of the Mrauk-U General Hospital in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

Reportedly, the airstrike - which occurred around 9 pm on 10 December - resulted in the death of at least 30 civilians and injury to more than 70. It appears to be the deadliest recorded attack on a healthcare facility in Myanmar since 2021.

Among the casualties were health workers and patients, including elderly people, long-term care patients, and dozens of children. There are also reports of severe injuries among the survivors.

Paul Brockmann, MSF Operations Manager for Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Malaysia, said in a statement:

“It is difficult to convey how outraged MSF is by the attack on one of the few remaining functioning medical facilities in the area.

"Bombing of health facilities, patients being killed in their beds, this cannot be perceived as collateral damage in a conflict zone. Hospitals must remain a safe place for patients to receive medical care.

“We mourn the patients who lost their lives at the hospital we have supported over the years, and we stand in solidarity with colleagues with whom we worked side by side.

"Destruction of one of the last operational hospitals in Central Rakhine will further restrict access to healthcare, including life-saving treatment, for civilians caught in the fighting.

“In Rakhine, access to healthcare has already severely decreased in recent years due to the ongoing conflict. Numerous medical facilities have been damaged, and many health professionals have been forced to flee due to ongoing violence.

On 20 November, five MSF vehicles parked in front of our clinic in Gaza city were destroyed by the intervention of the Israeli forces. The clinic was also damaged as a result and part of the building was engulfed by fire for a few hours. The cars and the clinic were clearly identified with the MSF logo. This happened while 21 people, including an MSF staff and his family members, were sheltered in the clinic and more than 50 others were in the guesthouse across the street: luckily, they survived unscathed. The cars that were destroyed were the ones used in the aborted evacuation of our staff and their relatives on 18 November, resulting in the killing of two people. Some of the staff sheltering in the MSF premises that day were witnesses to the incident.

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"The same pattern has been recorded across many areas of Myanmar – the country ranked fourth for attacks on healthcare in 2024.

“As an international, neutral medical humanitarian organisation, we urgently call on all parties to the conflict to uphold the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.

"Civilians and medical facilities must be protected without exception amidst the escalating violence."

MSF began working in Rakhine in 1994 and started supporting the hospital in Mrauk-U in 2021, with a focus on primary healthcare, sexual and reproductive care, mental healthcare, emergency referrals and treatment for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

MSF was compelled to suspend its presence across most of Rakhine in 2024 due to the extreme escalation of the conflict, and currently has a limited presence primarily in Sittwe.

MSF in Myanmar

Myanmar is an ethnically diverse country in southeast Asia, with over 100 ethnic groups. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) first worked in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in 1992.

In August 2017, the Myanmar authorities launched a concerted campaign of violence against the Rohingya people in the country’s Rakhine State, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee for their lives.

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