Despite the ongoing process striving towards peace in the country of Burma, or Myanmar, the last two months have constituted of increased strife between government soldiers and the ethnic groups in Kachin, Shan, Mon, and Karen States. In Karen alone, government officials have been defying boundaries set by peace negotiations, and have open fired on Karen Security guards numerous times. A meeting was held by the Karen National Union recently in hopes of finding a way to keep this process of peace from breaking down.
Through all this, Covenant World Relief continues to partner with Partners Relief and Development to provide medical clinics within Burma. In the latest update, the clinics reported that medically, all is going well- a breath of fresh air among the turmoil. A combined total of about 1,000 cases are seen among the three clinics, as no other groups or NGO’s are allowed to work in the conflict zones. Though there is a great deal of good work being done by these clinics, the cross-border support is decreasing, as cross-certification training programs have been limited in the area of reproductive health education and Auxiliary Midwives. In response to this, a meeting was held recently to review and discuss the training and certification of current ethics workers under the Ministry of Health. Additionally, two Thai Universities are looking to possibly offer Public Health certificate courses, as a partnership with the Partners Relief and Development.
Among the conflict in Burma, God’s work can be seen through the care and love of these medical clinics. Prayers for both the political skirmishes and the overall physical and emotional pain are greatly appreciated.
