According to two senior UN officials, who recently reported to the UN Security Council, the escalating conflict in Myanmar since the military coup in 2021 has led to a devastating impact on human rights and basic freedoms. Not only has the ongoing violence stripped communities of their basic needs, but it has also severely impacted their access to essential services.
Lise Doughten, Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), revealed that 2.8 million individuals in Myanmar have become displaced due to the conflict. The failed ceasefire has forced approximately 157,000 people to flee their homes, pushing the total displacement in the Rakhine region to well over 300,000.
The situation has spanned beyond encroachment on basic human rights. In the face of growing violence, nearly 12.9 million people, or roughly a quarter of Myanmar’s population, are now grappling with food insecurity. Additionally, the depletion of vital medicines and turmoil within health services has led to a collapse in access to essential goods and services. Education has also taken a significant hit, with close to one-third of all school-aged children now out of the classroom due to military attacks.
The worsening crisis has led OCHA to estimate that around 18.6 million people across Myanmar will be in need of assistance in 2024. This marks a nearly twenty-fold increase since February 2021. Amidst this harrowing situation, Doughten has called for increased funding to support OCHA’s operations and for safe and unimpeded access to affected individuals, along with creating a safe environment for aid workers.
The first quarter of 2024 has witnessed the intensification of conflict, especially in Rakhine, Kachin, Sagaing, and southeastern Myanmar. Disturbing reports, such as this one released in January, suggest that the military has been specifically targeting ethnic and religious minorities in the predominantly Buddhist nation. The Rohingya, a minority Muslim community, have been largely impacted by the junta’s attacks, a UN official expressed in March.
As the crisis persists, UN Assistant Secretary-General Khalid Khiari has emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of the Rohingya crisis in order to find a sustainable pathway out of the current crisis. Failing to do so and continuing impunity, Khiari claims, will only intensify Myanmar’s cycle of violence.
However, the conflict’s ramifications aren’t limited to the national level. Khiari has expressed concerns over the alarming spillover effects and the associated breakdown of the rule of law, giving a free hand to illicit economies to thrive. With limited livelihood opportunities and rampant criminal networks preying on the increasingly vulnerable population, Myanmar has become the hub of methamphetamine and opium production, fueling a global cyber scam phenomenon, particularly in the border areas.
In response to the escalating crisis, the UN, along with Human Rights Watch (HRW), urged the international community last month to ensure the well-being of the Rohingya refugees and address the propagation of violence in Myanmar. As part of ongoing efforts to alleviate the crisis, the UN stands committed to working in unison with regional bloc ASEAN and engaging with stakeholders of all levels.
This report, originally appeared on JURIST – News, further underlines the urgency of resolving this emerging humanitarian crisis.