After intense and relentless shelling was heard from MSF’s base in Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar, alongside exchanges of gunfire and the sound of aircraft overhead, our team in central Sittwe learned yesterday, 23 October, that at least two people were killed and 17 others injured in this latest escalation.
MSF understands that one of the shells exploded in downtown Sittwe, at a junction used by civilians to move around this increasingly restricted enclave, and that most of the casualties occurred there.
The injured were taken to Sittwe General Hospital for further treatment. This is the main referral hospital in Sittwe, and MSF has previously supported it by facilitating life-saving transfers for patients from other parts of the state where the specialised care they need is not available.
This latest escalation is not an isolated incident. People across Rakhine State continue to face deadly violence, whether through attacks on populated areas — such as the airstrikes in central Rakhine on 28 September, which killed at least 50 people — or as a result of being caught in the crossfire.
Civilians must be protected from conflict continuing to rage across Rakhine State.Paul Brockmann, MSF Operations Manager for Myanmar
All warring parties must make every effort to protect civilians, in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
For more than 30 years, MSF has stood alongside communities in Rakhine State. While we are aware that some staff from other organisations have been evacuated, our team remains in Sittwe.
We reiterate our call for the protection of civilians — including medical staff and patients in need of care — and for all parties to facilitate the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to people living in a state torn apart by violence and deprivation.
