Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) calls on Myanmar’s de facto military government and other groups to take all steps to ensure people have safe and unhindered access to healthcare. Equally, medical staff must be able to provide life-saving care without attacks, detention or intimidation.

Following Myanmar’s military coup on 1 February, our teams in Myanmar have been working hard to maintain access to those most vulnerable.

Our medical activities are ongoing, and we are committed to continuing our care to those most in need.

On 1 February 2021, Myanmar’s military staged a coup and took control of the country, once again plunging it into military rule. The military has declared a year-long state of emergency citing the failure of the civilian government to address election irregularities, and has detained key political figures and a number of journalists and political activists. 

Our medical programs are currently still running, but staff movements have been restricted and the situation remains fragile. Our statement below has been prepared by Benoit de Gryse, MSF Operational Manager for Myanmar.

More than three years since the emergency officially began, the systematic persecution of the Rohingya people continues. Now more than 860,000 Rohingya refugees live in Cox’s Bazar in southeast Bangladesh, crowded into 26 kilometres of land, dependent on aid, and with a future that appears bleak.

As the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is unfolding, our teams are working in more than 70 countries around the world, providing urgent medical care for people fleeing violence, mothers giving birth and children needing treatment for measles or malnutrition. From the conflict in Syria to the continued displacement of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, these are some of the crises we must not forget in the time of Covid-19.