The United Nations estimates more than 578,000 people have been displaced due to the clashes and aerial bombardments since the end of October in Myanmar, although communication blackouts are making numbers difficult to verify. In its latest situation report released Friday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said more than two thirds of the country are affected by fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and non-state armed groups, including Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) as well as People's Defense Forces (PDFs).
The new displacements add to the 2 million people who were already forced to flee their homes before the current escalation of violence. As of December, there are more than 2.5 million internally displaced people (IDPs) across Myanmar, including more than 2.2 million people who have been displaced within the country since the military takeover on February 1, 2021. Some 300,000 people are internally displaced due to conflict prior to February 2021, mainly in Rakhine, Kachin, Chin, and Shan state.
In October, fighting between ethnic armed groups and the MAF has escalated. In November, the fierce clashes between the EAOs and the MAF spread to other regions, including densely populated urban centers. According to the UN, this escalation is the largest and most geographically widespread since the military took power in 2021, with the north and south of Shan, Sagaing, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Magway, Kayah, eastern Bago and Kayin particularly affected.
The fierce clashes erupted after a sudden coordinated attack by a trio of ethnic minority-led rebel groups along the border between China and Myanmar in northern Shan State. The offensive, dubbed "Operation 1027" due to the date it began, was launched in northern Shan State on October 27 by the "Three Brotherhood Alliance" - consisting of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA).
According to OCHA, intense clashes have been reported in many townships across multiple states. The widespread displacement is creating urgent humanitarian needs for both new and protracted IDPs, as well as host communities. At least 363 civilians, including men, women, and children, have reportedly been killed, and 461 others have been injured in the fighting.
In its report, the UN humanitarian office said despite insecurity, access, and telecommunication challenges, provision of essential humanitarian assistance to affected people continued where possible. For example, in northern Shan, an estimated 85 percent of the newly displaced population had received some form of basic humanitarian assistance at least once, although this was not sufficient to meet their needs.
OCHA warned extensive needs and gaps remain in providing regular support to all people in need, with displaced people in some parts of the country normally heavily reliant on humanitarian assistance for their survival. Meanwhile, the UN and aid organizations are exploring ways to access a greater proportion of people affected by the fighting, particularly at the China-Myanmar border.
Significant challenges include road closures, movement restrictions, as well as the safety and security of aid workers. The response is further complicated by a fuel crisis, serious banking issues, and soaring commodity prices, OCHA reported.
On Wednesday, an independent UN expert urged United Nations Member States to save lives endangered by the intensifying armed conflict in Myanmar by taking immediate measures to stop the flow of weapons that the MAF was using “to commit probable war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
“Even though world attention is drawn to multiple conflicts and crises, immediate international action can have a significant impact on the rapidly evolving situation in Myanmar,” said Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.
“Unlike other conflicts where there are calls for more and more weapons, UN Member States can make a critical difference in Myanmar by stopping the flow of weapons to a military junta that is responding to growing losses of territory and troops with indiscriminate attacks on villages,” he added.
The Myanmar military’s control over the country—already tenuous before the launch of the offensive—appears to be seriously diminished, Andrews said.
The Special Rapporteur called on all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law, including by avoiding attacks on civilians and ensuring that prisoners of war are treated humanely and provided with medical care. The UN expert called on the international community to take all available measures to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to displaced and vulnerable populations.
Myanmar faces multiple overlapping humanitarian needs caused by protracted armed conflicts, genocide, persecution, intercommunal violence and natural disasters. Humanitarian needs in the country have continued to grow due to ongoing armed violence and political unrest since the military coup in February 2021.
The United Nations estimates that 17.6 million people in Myanmar are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection this year, an increase of more than 3 million compared to 2022. Among the population requiring humanitarian aid are some 5.8 million children.
Heavy armed clashes, including airstrikes, artillery fire and ambushes, across Myanmar continue to endanger the lives, safety, and health of civilians. At least 77,000 civilian structures, including homes, clinics, schools and places of worship, have been reportedly burned or destroyed over the past two and half years.
Myanmar is also one of the most vulnerable countries in South East Asia to natural disasters, facing numerous hazards such as floods, cyclones, and earthquakes. On May 14, 2023, Tropical Cyclone Mocha - one of the most powerful storms in decades - hit western and northern Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh.
Humanitarian operations in the Southeast Asian Country are grossly under-funded. The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Myanmar calls for US$887 million to provide life-saving assistance to millions of people. As of December 10, the HRP is only 29 percent covered by funding.
OCHA said an urgent injection of support is critical to enable humanitarian agencies to respond effectively and at-scale to the escalating needs in Myanmar.
Further information
Full text: Myanmar: Intensification of Clashes Flash Update #9 (as of 8 December 2023), report, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, released December 8, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-intensification-clashes-flash-update-9-8-december-2023
Full text: Urgent action needed to save lives amid intensifying conflict in Myanmar, says UN expert, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, press release, published December 6, 2023
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/12/urgent-action-needed-save-lives-amid-intensifying-conflict-myanmar-says-un