Call to allow unrestricted access to humanitarian groups

DOCTORS Without Borders (MSF) is calling on Myanmar to immediately grant independent and unrestricted access to international humanitarian organisations to respond to massive humanitarian needs in Rakhine State.

Military operations have been ongoing in Rakhine State since August 25 after a spate of attacks on police stations and a military base, claimed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

Following the Myanmar military’s action and violence more than 400 000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh and are living in extremely precarious conditions with limited access to health care, potable water, latrines and food.

MSF medical teams in Bangladesh have been treating people who have suffered gunshot and blast wounds, as well as women who have been raped.

Refugees report widespread destruction, rape and violence. They talk of villages being burnt down deliberately. In addition, MSF is aware of two of our own clinics in Rakhine State being razed.

The government of Myanmar wants to exclusively lead the humanitarian response to the people affected in Rakhine. However, MSF fears that putting the delivery of humanitarian aid under the government’s exclusive control could result in even more severe administrative and access constraints than ever.

MSF believes the only way to ensure aid is provided based on needs alone – and for the aid response to be trusted by all populations – is to have independent, neutral humanitarian actors to provide much-needed relief.

“To ensure access to medical care and to be able to provide assistance to conflict-affected people, MSF and other international humanitarian agencies must be allowed immediate and unhindered access to all areas of Rakhine State. Without this, there is a very real risk that patients will die unnecessarily,” said Benoit de Gryse, MSF’s operations manager for Myanmar.

On Monday MSF opened two fixed location health posts to offer primary health care and outpatient department services, malnutrition screening and mental health counselling among other things in Kutupalong and Balukhali makeshift settlements. Between August 25 and September 12, MSF treated more than 9 200 patients at its fixed, makeshift and mobile clinics in different sites. Of these, about 147 had gunshot wounds, 66 were violence related and 16 were sexual, genderbased violence cases.

Doctors Without Borders is an independent international medical humanitarian organisation working to bring emergency medical care to people caught in conflict, crises and disasters in more than 65 countries. We rely on regular donations from individual donors to support our work.

To support MSF’s work: SMS “JOIN” to 41486 to donate R15 per month.

Visit ww.msf.org.za/donate Angela Makamure Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Southern Africa