UN: war starves Myanmar, six million children undernourished

This is the alarm raised by the United Nations in its 2023 report on the situation in Asia and the Pacific. The conflict between the military junta and rebels - who are gaining support among the population - is fuelling food insecurity, economic paralysis and devastation. Current needs are 19 times greater than before the 2021 coup. Two million people are displaced.

Yangon (AsiaNews) - The civil war is raging in Myanmar: the armed forces, controlled by the military junta, are under pressure on multiple fronts and the ethnic militias supported by the People's Defense Forces are gaining positions and local and international support.

However, the population pays a heavy price in terms of insecurity, economic paralysis and devastation. To the point that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Unocha) estimates that the Burmese in need of humanitarian assistance have risen to 18.3 million, about a third of the population and one million more than last year.

The data stands out in the Asia and Pacific Situation Report 2023, which presents a bleak picture in a country rich in resources but which conflicts, dictatorship and exploitation have brought to the bottom of the well-being ranking in Asia.

The situation is serious to the point that current needs exceed those before the coup by 19 times. Once again, it is above all children who are at risk due to the difficulty in accessing medical care, education, adequate food, often even a shelter. Six million minors show signs of malnutrition, suffer from pathologies and traumas, are at risk of ending up in the hands of human traffickers or of being recruited by the fighting parties.

A situation that also affects women and disabled people with varying intensity.

Unocha reports that the health system is in crisis and the risks of spreading diseases are aggravated by the difficulty in finding drinking water and adequate shelter. In October, as the offensive by ethnic militias developed in various areas, the number of displaced people rose to two million, with an increase of 600 thousand units on the previous year.

With the crisis expected to worsen in 2024, the UN office highlights again that humanitarian organizations are planning to reach 5.3 million individuals at an expected cost of 4 million.

The list of ongoing emergencies described in the report outlines the picture better: “The population of Myanmar continues to face a human rights, humanitarian and political emergency situation which puts the protection of civilians at serious risk, limiting access to vital services including health and education and leading to severe food insecurity.

Humanitarian needs have worsened in the country as the conflict persists causing unprecedented levels of dislocation, destruction of property and livelihoods, and the presence of mines and other explosive devices especially in the north-west and south-east.”