On Thursday, Dec. 11, a military airstrike targeted a hospital in the town of Mrauk-U in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. According to news outlets, at least 34 people were killed and more than 80 were injured. The strike caused heavy damage to the facility and left patients, medical staff and bystanders trapped under debris. Multiple international humanitarian organizations condemned the attack and warned that continued fighting in the area could put more people at risk.
Attacks on medical facilities are troubling because hospitals have specific protections under international law. Damage and destruction caused to medical facilities result in denial of emergency and necessary services to people. Situations like this show the dangers civilians face in active conflict zones.
