Photo: Collected

COX’SBAZAR, April 30, 2026 (BSS)- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international humanitarian medical organization based on France, has increased medical assistance in Cox’s Bazar following the measles outbreak in the country.

The MSF is focused on treating affected children from Rohingya refugee camps and nearby host communities while supporting an ongoing vaccination campaign.

Cox’s Bazar, hosting over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in the world’s largest refugee settlement, remains one of the most high-risk areas due to overcrowding and fragile living conditions that accelerate transmission and complications of measles that broke out lately across the country.

Briefing the measles situation, MSF Country Medical Coordinator Mieke Steensen’s said Measles cases had been reported regularly earlier this year but a sharp increase from March was observed which has later been accelerated during the following month April.

“Our teams are treating mostly children under five, many with severe pneumonia,” he said.

However, low vaccination coverage remains a major concern as he said around three-quarters of confirmed cases were unvaccinated.

In April, MSF treated 284 patients, according to an MSF press release.

On April 19, MSF opened a new isolation unit in Jamtoli camp to support the health services, the release said.

MSF is also supporting the ongoing vaccination campaign launched on April 26.