Myanmar: Restoring sustainable access to essential lifelines after the earthquake

Yangon, Myanmar: 6 August 2025– After three months of effort to support the communities affected by the devastating earthquake in central Myanmar, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has concluded the emergency phase of its response in the most affected areas – Mandalay, Sagaing and Southern Shan regions, particularly in Inle Lake. The distribution of relief kits … Read more

Beyond the rubble: Mental health and psychosocial needs after Myanmar’s earthquake

Ma Thiri* vividly remembers her life changing in an instant. “People were shouting and screaming in panic, telling everyone to run out onto the streets. While everyone was shouting, I turned and looked back. The flames were already engulfing my house. There was no way I could go back and grab anything.” A tailor, Ma … Read more

Myanmar: Earthquake survivors share their stories from Myanmar

Mandalay, Myanmar– On Friday 28 March, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar. From the epicentre in the city of Sagaing, the tremor was felt across Thailand, Bangladesh, China and Laos. Our teams already in the country immediately mobilised to travel to the affected areas in Sagaing, Mandalay, Naypyitaw, and Southern Shan states to assess … Read more

Myanmar on the brink: A population in desperate need

Shinjiro Murata, General Director, MSF Japan Across Myanmar, 18.6 million people are struggling to meet their basic needs—including access to medical care. The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is rapidly deteriorating, and yet the international community is crippled by inaction, their attention elsewhere. As a humanitarian, I have witnessed crises in Africa and the Middle East, … Read more

Myanmar: MSF teams face major obstacles providing medical care to communities in Rakhine state

This June 2024, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was forced to indefinitely suspend its medical humanitarian activities in northern Rakhine following the extreme escalation of conflict and burning down of MSF’s office in Buthidaung Township. While in some townships in the central part of Rakhine MSF has been able to maintain a … Read more

Myanmar: MSF suspends medical activities in northern Rakhine state

The extreme escalation of conflict, indiscriminate violence, and severe restrictions on humanitarian access in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, have forced Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to suspend medical humanitarian activities in the townships of Rathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw. MSF ran 14 mobile clinics in northern Rakhine providing essential medical services to all communities, including Rakhine, Rohingya and … Read more

MSF office and pharmacy in Rakhine state destroyed in fire amid ongoing violence

BUTHIDAUNG – Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is deeply alarmed that our office and pharmacy in Buthidaung, Rakhine state, Myanmar, burnt down on 15 April. The burning down of MSF’s office and pharmacy is just the latest blow to what is a decimation of available healthcare options for people in Rakhine state and their continued denial from access … Read more

Myanmar: I have defeated TB and I wish the same for other patients

Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is one of the most complex types of tuberculosis you can get. As opposed to drug-sensitive, which responds well to the medication, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, by its very name, is resistant to some of the drugs used to treat the disease. This makes the response more complicated, often requiring the doctors to … Read more

Cyclone Mocha: aid efforts severely hampered by new restrictions

About 85 per cent of my camp is in ruins after Cyclone Mocha wreaked havoc here. All hut-like houses are destroyed. People who live in houses like these are in dire need of emergency aid since they have no place to stay. Daw Nu MSF Community Health Worker in Sittwe Daw Saw Nu’s house was … Read more

After 10 years in camps in Myanmar, Rohingya mental health continues to suffer

In 2012, when violence erupted between Rohingya and Rakhine communities, Zaw Rina’s home in Pauktaw town was burned down. She was forced to flee with her family to a camp in Ah Nauk Ywe on a difficult-to-reach island in the remote western part of the state. The impermanence of the fragile bamboo structure she lives … Read more