“MSF welcomes the Myanmar government’s announcement today that the organisation will be invited to resume medical humanitarian operations in Rakhine State,”. Me too.
Jamie
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MSF invited back to Rakhine State
Tim McLaughlin
Myanmar Times
Thursday, 24 July 2014
AID organisation Médecins Sans Frontières-Holland (MSF) has been invited to resume operations in Rakhine State, according to state media.
An announcement from the Rakhine State government and a Myanmar News Agency article based on a Ministry of Health report, both published in the July 24 edition of the New Light of Myanmar, said the group will be allowed to re-start work in the Western state.
In the announcement the Rakhine State government invited UN agencies and INGOs, including MSF, “to participate in development, humanitarian, education and healthcare programs in accordance with the wishes of the Rakhine people”.
The invitation was made in order to implement the Rakhine Action Plan, which was developed following meetings on June 26-27 with members of the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC), UN officials, civil society representatives and officials from the Myanmar Peace Centre, it said.
The government ordered the Nobel-prize winning organisation to leave Rakhine State in late February amid accusations it was biased in favour of the state’s Muslim population. A month later, all INGOs pulled out of the state after their offices were targeted by Rakhine extremists. All were later allowed to return, but the state government said it would not allow MSF to resume its activities in Rakhine.
It remains unclear as to when and under what circumstances the organisation will be allowed to resume its programs, which include the provision of medical care to isolated Buddhist and Muslim communities.
MSF said that it welcomed the announcement.
“MSF welcomes the Myanmar government’s announcement today that the organisation will be invited to resume medical humanitarian operations in Rakhine State,” it said.
“We look forward to continuing constructive discussions with the Ministry of Health regarding how MSF can support the ministry in the immediate expansion of life-saving medical activities for the people of Rakhine currently facing a humanitarian crisis.”
The group declined to comment further.
Prior to its eviction from the state, MSF had angered the government and Buddhist Rakhine residents by reporting that it had treated 22 Rohingya Muslims following an outbreak of violence in Maungdaw township in January. The UN has said that it believes at least 40 people were killed during fighting but the government has denied that anyone was killed.
The organisation said at the time it was “deeply shocked" by the decision to force it to leave.
According to Rakhine State government figures, there are 24 international organisations working in the state, with a total staff of 185 – 112 locals and 72 foreigners.
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/11136-msf-invited-back-to-rakhine-state.html
