Myanmar: Violence Against Health Care in Conflict 2025 [EN/MY]

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Airstrikes Affecting Health Care Increased in Myanmar in 2025 Amid Growing Use of Explosive Weapons

Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC)

Using data collected by Insecurity Insight, the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) identified 259 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care in Myanmar in 2025. Among the incidents, health care facilities were damaged or destroyed at least 110 times, while 34 health workers were killed and 33 arrested.

Insecurity Insight updates data continuously and numbers may change if new information is made publicly available. For the latest available figures, see Insecurity Insight’s global map on attacks on health care since 2016.

Key findings:

• The use of explosive weapons in attacks on health care increased in 2025 compared to previous years, highlighting a rise in more lethal and indiscriminate violence with wide-area effects in the reporting year.
• Aircraft-delivered strikes by the MAF rose by nearly 25%, from 66 incidents in 2024 to 81 in 2025, with its share increasing from 52% of all reported incidents involving explosive weapons to 67% over the same period, increasing the lethality of MAF strikes on health care in opposition-held areas. Members of the PDF and LDFs also conducted air strikes that impacted health care, but using much smaller delivery platforms, underlying the asymmetry of their weapons systems and the associated lower lethality of their conduct of the conflict.
• In Bago, Mandalay, and Sagaing, MAF paramotors and gyrocopters (light, low-flying aircraft capable of evading detection) were reportedly used to drop bombs on health facilities in villages under the control of armed groups, including the KNU, as well as hospitals operating under NUG control. At least six health workers were killed by these weapons. An MAF medic was also reported killed in Kayin by KNLA and PDF handmade electroshock rocket attacks (improvised weapons with a limited payload and low accuracy).

Full chapter available in English and Ukrainian

The report forms part of SHCC’s annual report‘Care in the Crosshairs’.

Other resources

A recent Guardian feature on Myanmar’s health system drew on Insecurity Insight’s data to document the scale of attacks on health since the 2021 military coup. The article highlights how violence against health workers and facilities has contributed to the country’s deepening health crisis, underscoring the importance of systematic monitoring to inform public understanding and humanitarian advocacy.

Health care workers in Myanmar face an urgent and growing threat – armed drones targeting hospitals, mobile clinics, and aid operations. These attacks endanger lives and access to critical care. This practical guide by Insecurity Insight provides measures to help health care providers mitigate these risks and is available in Burmese and English. From early warning systems to protective strategies for staff, infrastructure, and mobile teams, this guide is essential for anyone working to safeguard medical services in Myanmar. Individual resources:

• Outside When a Drone is Spotted: Burmese; English
• Inside a Building During a Drone Attack: Burmese; English
• Response During a Drone Attack: Burmese; English

For broader insights, consult the Security Risk Management for Health Care Services (SR4H) Handbook.