With the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, violence, anger and bewilderment have taken hold of millions of peaceful people and plunged the entire country into a deep crisis. Nothing is as it was and the arbitrariness of the military, with the killing of young demonstrators and the country's economic collapse, are causing fear and terror.
We have been monitoring the situation for months and keeping in touch with our team and our friends in the country. Unfortunately, the situation is getting worse. Most of the public infrastructure is lying idle. Most of the authorities are not functioning, the banking sector is in a tailspin and the healthcare system is only working in a rudimentary way. For the people in our area of operation in the Irrawaddy Delta, this means that the ATMs are mostly not working and it is difficult for the local population to obtain cash. Permits from the authorities are currently almost impossible to obtain. The hospital in Bogale has reopened, but it is only working in a very limited mode. Everyday life has become difficult for the people and all plans and hopes for the future have come to an abrupt halt.
This is also clearly noticeable in the mood of our team, who are nevertheless trying to make the best of the situation and be there for the patients. The boat is currently moored at the jetty in Bogale and is treating the local population. Soon, however, we will return to the villages and bring medical supplies to the remote parts of the country.
It is difficult to predict how the situation in the country will develop. The military is trying to stabilize its power. One move is the banning of the democratic NLD party. However, the counter-movement is also slowly beginning to arm itself and is attempting to ally itself with the ethnic groups in the country that have long been armed. This is also reflected in increasingly fierce fighting in various states such as Chin State. At the same time, there are reports of deserters from the army.
We are continuing to monitor the situation and will report regularly on current developments in the future. Interesting articles for this week can be found at:
