This week, Myanmar marked a bleak milestone with over 3 million civilians displaced nationwide amid intensifying conflict. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA-Myanmar), it is estimated that one-third of those displaced are children whose education and futures have been disrupted.
Internally displaced people (IDPs) increased by 50% in the past six months due to an escalation of the ongoing conflict between the military and armed groups, the statement said.
By 2024, humanitarian workers plan to provide food, water, shelter, healthcare, and protection assistance to 5.3 million people in Myanmar, with US$994 million needed to fund these efforts. Despite at least 18.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, only 5.3 million are targeted for aid due to funding constraints.
Currently, just 12 per cent of the required funds have been raised, despite a heavy prioritization and boundary-setting exercise at the end of 2023, according to UNOCHA.
Despite the lack of funding, Myanmar’s humanitarian partners managed to provide assistance to nearly one million people, including almost 500,000 displaced individuals, during the first quarter of 2024, UNOCHA announced.
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