The United Nations has condemned a deadly strike on a hospital in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, urging a full investigation after at least 33 people were killed in the attack late on Wednesday.
The strike hit Mrauk-U hospital, the region’s primary healthcare facility, causing extensive damage and leaving patients, health workers and visiting family members among the casualties.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said he was “appalled” by the attack, warning that it may amount to a war crime. “Such attacks may amount to a war crime. I call for investigations and those responsible to be held to account. The fighting must stop now,” he wrote on X.
A spokesperson for Türk’s office noted that although the responsibility to investigate lies with Myanmar’s authorities, ongoing impunity in the country means international courts and universal jurisdiction may need to be considered to ensure accountability.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also condemned the strike, describing it as devastating for a community already reliant on the hospital’s emergency, obstetric and surgical services. He confirmed that at least 20 others were injured and that critical infrastructure, including operating theatres and inpatient wards, had been destroyed. This incident marks the 67th verified attack on healthcare facilities in Myanmar this year.
Myanmar’s military junta has intensified the use of air strikes since seizing power in a 2021 coup, with conflict monitors reporting a steady rise in aerial assaults during the civil war.
The strike comes as the junta prepares to hold elections from December 28 a process widely dismissed by opposition groups and international observers as an attempt to legitimise continued military rule. Rebel groups control large parts of the country and have vowed to disrupt the vote.
Türk has expressed deep concern over the pre-election climate, citing increased violence, widespread arrests, voter coercion and the use of intrusive surveillance technologies. He warned that the planned polls risk deepening instability and fear across Myanmar.
International pressure continues to mount as the humanitarian and political crisis in the country shows no sign of easing.