Attachments
Between March 2021 and July 2024, at least 20 health workers were killed across Sagaing Region in targeted attacks, airstrikes, and ambushes—often for their perceived or real affiliation with the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) or opposition groups. The majority of these killings were attributed to the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF), with health workers increasingly caught in the crossfire.
What We Know
- Health workers have been killed during raids, in drone and air strikes, and while providing care or transporting patients.
- Victims include nurses, midwives, ambulance drivers, and doctors—some killed in their homes or clinics, others during emergency responses.
- Some killings involved torture or use of deceptive tactics (e.g., attackers posing as patients).
- These killings demonstrate the weaponization of health care services and the escalating risks faced by health workers in conflict zones.
Key Risks
- Monywa, Shwebo, Kanbalu, and Yinmabin districts—areas with frequent clashes and drone strikes.
- CDM-affiliated staff, NGO health workers, mobile responders, and rural-based professionals.
- Health workers are frequently targeted in the homes and private clinics also endangering their families.
Practical Tips
- Risk mitigation training: Train health workers in conflict-sensitive practices, including personal safety, evacuation procedures, and de-escalation tactics.
- Enhanced security for health workers: Provide security measures for health workers especially those working in high-risk areas or affiliated with opposition linked activities.
- Mental health support: Offer psychological support for health workers and their families who experience or witness violence.
Action to Take
- Use this guidance to brief your teams, plan safety training, and prepare materials for posters.
These are just a few steps to help protect Sagaing’s health workers and sustain health services amid worsening insecurity. Explore complementary strategies from Kayin, Mandalay, Shan, and Rakhine in their respective reports to strengthen coordinated action.
For broader insights, see the Security Risk Management for Health Care Services (SR4H) Handbook.
To understand risks from drone-based attacks, see the drone protection brief, available in English and Burmese.