Violence in Myanmar is spiraling as the military junta increases its attacks on monasteries, schools, and camps sheltering people uprooted by the civil war, a top independent human rights investigator warned Wednesday. This warning comes as the number of people in Myanmar in need of humanitarian assistance has risen to an unprecedented 22 million, following four years of fierce civil war and devastating earthquakes three months ago.
In an update on the grave situation in the Southeast Asian nation, UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said more than 6,800 people have been killed since generals seized power in a coup in February 2021. Special rapporteurs are independent human rights experts appointed by the UN who work on a voluntary basis and are neither UN staff nor do they receive a salary for their work.
Today, Myanmar’s military — the Tatmadaw — has lost considerable territory, soldiers, and facilities to resistance fighters, Andrews said. With support from allies outside the country, the generals have resorted to accelerating airstrikes on civilian targets in an attempt to cut off the supply lines of opposition forces, he said.
“The use of aircraft has been increasing and the use of bombing have been increasing,” he told journalists, adding that these “indiscriminate” aerial attacks have struck schools and monasteries.
“We've documented that they have hit centers for internally displaced persons [IDPs]. I met a dad who lost his two - only two children - two daughters, after he brought them to an IDP center for safety, because the IDP center was hit.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, Andrews emphasized that Myanmar’s generals were “loathed” by the people of Myanmar, who face forced military conscription and human rights abuses.
According to the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, there are now more than 22,000 political prisoners in Myanmar, most of whom are imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights, such as speaking out and participating in demonstrations against the brutal military junta.
“They're losing ground, literally and figuratively, but they have significant resources available to them, financial resources and weapons that are being provided to them from abroad,” Mr. Andrews maintained.
“And as long as those resources continue to flow, they're going to continue to wreak significant havoc, and they're not hesitant to do so.”
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck Myanmar on March 28, Andrews alleged that the Tatmadaw moved to divert aid relief to areas under its control and forced earthquake survivors out of their shelters.
“The junta has taken the same approach with earthquake relief that it takes to all humanitarian aid generally: block the delivery of aid to opposition-controlled areas and attempt to force all donors and agencies to deliver aid only into its own hands,” he said.
In a call to the international community to condemn the upcoming elections in Myanmar — the first since the coup — as "a charade and a fraud," the human rights expert urged UN member states to show solidarity with the country's people.
Highlighting a rare piece of good news about Myanmar, Andrews welcomed the “one-third reduction in the flow of weapons […] into the hands of the military junta” thanks to measures involving the international financial system supported by member states.”.
According to the Special Rapporteur, Singapore's actions reduced the flow of weapons from the country to Myanmar by 90 percent. In Thailand, Bangkok Bank ceased doing business with the junta-controlled Myanmar Economic Bank, cutting off the financing needed to purchase weapons.
“These are specific actions that are extremely positive and very fruitful,” Andrews said.
Meanwhile, the global humanitarian funding crisis is already having major negative repercussions in Myanmar, where only 12 percent of the humanitarian needs and response plan are funded.
“Before the coup, there were 300,000 people internally displaced in Myanmar; now there are more than 3.5 million,” the Special Rapporteur noted.
An estimated 1.5 million people have fled to neighboring countries or crossed borders by sea, both legally and illegally, creating further regional human rights and humanitarian challenges. Civilians continue to flee their homes due to fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and various non-state armed groups (NSAGs).
Humanitarian needs in Myanmar have reached record levels, with 21.9 million people in need of aid. Before the earthquakes hit, 19.9 million people were identified as needing assistance. Following the March earthquakes, an additional 2 million people are now in urgent need.
Nearly a third of the country's population is facing acute food insecurity. According to an early warning report released last week by the United Nations, Myanmar is one of the world’s most critical hunger hotspots, requiring urgent attention to save lives and livelihoods.
Since mid-April, there has been a surge in aerial attacks and shelling, resulting in numerous civilian casualties, including children. Meanwhile, ongoing fighting has restricted access to life-saving assistance and essential services for affected communities.
According to the United Nations, the Myanmar military exploited the chaos caused by the March earthquakes to intensify attacks on civilians and further restrict humanitarian access.
Following the earthquakes, the military maintained restrictive control over humanitarian access to affected areas. Despite ceasefire declarations by the military and NSAGS, including ethnic armed organizations and people’s defense forces, military operations persisted, exacerbating the civilian population's suffering.
The devastating quakes — Myanmar’s strongest in a century — killed an estimated 3,800 people and injured more than 5,100, mostly women and girls. The two major earthquakes particularly impacted the central regions, including Mandalay and Sagaing, leaving widespread destruction of properties and infrastructures.
On Tuesday, Jorge Moreira da Silva, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), briefed reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York on his three-day visit to Myanmar.
He spoke about the communities that are still reeling from the severe earthquakes, which have compounded existing challenges of conflict, displacement, and severe humanitarian needs.
“The disaster added another layer of suffering to an already struggling population,” da Silva said, via video link from Beijing, noting that “Myanmar is also one of the world’s deadliest countries for landmine and unexploded ordnance casualties.”
Three months in, more than 6.3 million people in the most affected areas remain in urgent need of assistance and protection due to the earthquakes, many of whom were already in need of humanitarian aid before the disaster struck.
“I saw the extent of the damage and the needs in my visits to Sagaing and Mandalay,” the UNOPS chief said.
“My colleagues worked closely with the UN family, local, and other humanitarian partners to provide immediate assistance and support recovery efforts, including by delivering emergency shelters, access to clean water, and deploying infrastructure specialists for rapid damage assessments.”
Through its partners and programs, UNOPS has rapidly mobilized $25 million and scaled up its response to provide life-saving assistance to half a million people. UNOPS has the largest UN presence in Myanmar, with over 400 staff members on the ground.
"But the needs are immense. The World Bank estimates $10.97 billion in damages, with full reconstruction likely costing 2–3 times more," da Silva said.
"As we shift gears from immediate relief to early recovery, my colleagues and partners need safe, sustained access, to prevent further suffering."
Debris removal is another key concern, as over 2.5 million tons of debris must be cleared to pave the way for recovery.
Da Silva echoed calls from across the UN system to end the violence of Myanmar’s civil war.
"Recovery and reconstruction efforts should support Myanmar’s journey to peace and reconciliation. Protection of civilians must be a priority," he said.
“All recovery efforts need to put people at the front and center. They need to be inclusive, led by the communities that are impacted. They need to be grounded in dignity, equity, and a shared commitment to building resilience.”