In a December report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), it was emphasized that 18.6 million people in Myanmar,approximately one-third of the country's population, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Among the millions of people who have experienced humanitarian hardships, including homelessness, loss of access to healthcare support and education, as well as food insecurity and inadequate nutrition, approximately 6 million are children, according to UNOCHA.
“The economic situation facing many households is forcing people to make incredibly tough decisions about spending priorities, and assets that can be sold to meet urgent needs. People’s well-being is threatened through inadequate food consumption leading to malnutrition”, UNOCHA’s report stated.
The report indicates that this year, the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance has risen by one million compared to the previous year, marking a 19-fold increase from three years before the coup.
Civil society groups said that due to the conflicts that resurfaced on November 13th in Rakhine State, the population of war-displaced individuals in the region has surged to exceed 130000.
In the past, displaced individuals were reasonably supported by host villagers who temporarily welcomed them. However, with the current severe food shortage in the region, the hurdles are becoming increasingly formidable.
"The weather becomes obviously colder, and we lack sufficient warm clothes and blankets. The children are falling ill, and as a mother, it is unbearable for me to see my children sick”, a war-displaced woman from Pauktaw Township told DMG.
Rakhine civil aid organizations report that since the renewed clashes, the Military Council has tightly restricted both land routes and waterways in the region, posing significant obstacles in delivering humanitarian aid to those in need.
UNOCHA has announced plans to offer emergency assistance to 5.3 million out of the 18.6 million people in need of humanitarian aid in Myanmar by 2024.
