The United Nations has called for an urgent investigation after an air strike on a hospital in Myanmar’s Rakhine state killed at least 33 people on Wednesday night—a deadly attack that UN officials say may amount to a war crime.
Myanmar’s military junta, which seized power in a 2021 coup, has escalated air attacks across the country amid ongoing civil conflict, according to rights monitors.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the strike on Mrauk-U Hospital, saying he was “appalled” by the attack that left dozens dead and wounded.
“Such attacks may amount to a war crime. I call for investigations and for those responsible to be held to account,” he posted on X, urging an immediate halt to the fighting.
A spokesperson for Türk’s office said that while national authorities bear responsibility for investigating the strike, Myanmar’s entrenched impunity means international courts and universal jurisdiction may play a role in seeking justice.
World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also condemned the attack, calling it “appalling”. He said the hospital—Rakhine’s main healthcare centre—was severely damaged, with its operating theatres and main inpatient ward destroyed.
“At least 33 people have been killed and 20 injured, including health workers, patients and family members,” Tedros said, adding that this was the 67th verified attack on healthcare facilities in Myanmar this year.
The strike comes as Myanmar’s military government prepares for elections beginning December 28, which it claims will restore peace and democracy. However, international observers and ousted lawmakers have dismissed the polls as a bid to legitimise military rule, while rebel groups have vowed to block voting in the territories they control.
Türk warned that the lead-up to the election has already been marked by rising violence, arrests, voter coercion, digital surveillance and systemic discrimination—conditions he says risk deepening nationwide insecurity and fear.
