August 10, 2024

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has called for urgent protection of the Rohingya population amid escalating conflicts in Rakhine State, which has forced many to flee to Bangladesh with severe injuries.

In a statement released on August 9, MSF expressed concern over the increasing number of Rohingya people fleeing into Bangladesh with serious injuries. MSF reported that on August 6 alone, 21 injured Rohingya were treated by their teams.

As of August 7, MSF had provided medical care to 39 injured Rohingya, with 40% of those treated being women and children.

“We have seen an increase in the number of Rohingya arriving in Bangladesh with injuries in recent days. The growing conflict in Myanmar is deeply concerning,” said Orla Murphy, MSF’s representative in Bangladesh.

The conflict in Rakhine State, which has intensified between the military junta and the Arakan Army (AA), has forced over a thousand Rohingya to attempt crossing the Naf River to reach Bangladesh.

On August 5, heavy fighting in Maungdaw led to artillery fire on a group of Rohingya refugees attempting to cross into Bangladesh, resulting in the deaths of around 200 people, according to local sources.

Many of those killed included women and children, as confirmed by U Aung Kyaw Moe, the Deputy Minister of Human Rights for the National Unity Government (NUG), who spoke to New Day Myanmar.

The situation remains critical, and MSF has reiterated its call for the protection of civilians caught in the conflict.