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	The use of starvation as a weapon of war by Global Rights Compliance, agencies   Aug. 2023 (UN News)   The threat of famine, with people slowly starving to death, must be considered a red line for international peace and security, the UN Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator said briefing the UN Security Council, warning that warring groups deliberately use hunger as a tactic of war.   Globally, over 250 million people suffered acute hunger in 2022, the highest in recent years, with hundreds of thousands of people facing famine-like conditions in seven countries – all affected by armed conflict or extreme levels of violence. Another 35 million people are on the edge, Reena Ghelani said.   Hunger and conflict “feed off of each other,” she continued, briefing the Security Council open debate on famine and conflict-induced global food insecurity.   “Armed conflict destroys food systems, shatters livelihoods and drives people from their homes, leaving many extremely vulnerable and hungry. Sometimes these impacts are by-products of war, but all too often they are inflicted deliberately and unlawfully – with hunger utilized as a tactic of war,” she said.   Ms. Ghelani added that food insecurity itself also fuels instability, citing research that shows how food insecurity, when coupled with pre-existing grievances, poverty and inequality, causes people to choose violence over peace. “It is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, leading to conflict,” she said.   Humanitarians under attack   Those helping people and providing assistance to stave off famine are also not spared by the fighting, Ms. Ghelani noted. Hundreds of humanitarians are killed, injured and kidnapped in conflict situations every year, and aid facilities and supplies are often attacked, looted or used for military purposes.   “The difficulties the United Nations, NGOs, and its partners are facing in Sudan is a stark example,” Ms. Ghelani said, offering condolences to the families of the 11 humanitarian workers killed there in recent weeks.   Climate change and economic shocks further compound the crisis.   “Climate change is increasingly becoming a threat multiplier,” Ms. Ghelani added, with stress over water and other natural resources leading to competition over dwindling natural resources, displacement, and, ultimately, conflicts and hunger.   At the same time, insecurity in conflict-affected countries hinders climate adaptation efforts. “This leaves already vulnerable communities even poorer, hungrier and less resilient,” she said.   Ms. Ghelani emphasized that despite overwhelming challenges, progress is possible, and outlined some key steps that must be taken to address the crisis.   These include ensuring parties to conflicts respect international humanitarian law, especially protecting food and water systems and facilitating unimpeded humanitarian access to peole in need. She also urged better use of early warning systems, with effective follow-up; adequate humanitarian funding; and being bold in finding ways to mitigate the impact of war on the most vulnerable.   Women and girls must be at the centre of our efforts, Ms. Ghelani said. “Crises and hunger affect them disproportionately, and they also hold the key to lasting solutions. Research shows that involving local women in peacebuilding increases the probability that violence will end by 24 per cent,” she highlighted.   Ms. Ghelani recounted her personal experiences where she visited communities teetering on the brink of famine.   “I have sat with mothers in too many nutrition wards, in too many displaced camps. And as their small children fought for their lives, they were too weak to cry, even make a sound that eerie silence is deafening. It never leaves you,” she said.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/08/1139407 http://www.genevacall.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Official-DoC-Preventing-Starvation-And-Adressing-Conflict-Related-Food-Insecurity.pdf   * May 2023   UN WebTV: Resolution 2417 Five Years On   Five years ago, the UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 2417 and recognised the link between armed conflict and violence and conflict-induced food insecurity and the threat of famine.   Resolution 2417 strongly condemns international humanitarian law violations, such as the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, underlining that this act may constitute a war crime, and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access, depriving civilians of objects indispensable to their survival. Resolution 2417 calls on all parties to armed conflicts to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, while also reaffirming the primary responsibility of States to protect populations throughout their whole territories: http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1s/k1sfzddp9t   Mar. 2023   The use of starvation as a weapon of war, by Global Rights Compliance, agencies   Experts are pushing for the recognition of deliberate starvation in a conflict as a distinct crime, believing it could deter such acts in the future and promote accountability.   Global Rights Compliance, an international human rights law firm, has called on western governments, including the UK and US, to recognise the use of deliberate starvation as a weapon of war.   The law firm believes that failure to do so could lead to the deaths of millions of people in some of the world’s most vulnerable and conflict-prone countries.   The use of starvation as a weapon of war has been reported in several countries, including Ethiopia’s Tigray region, Yemen, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Ukraine. Global Rights Compliance said its investigations have shown that the victims of starvation experience shame and anguish, and live under undignified conditions.   The law firm stated that intentional starvation requires recognition as a distinct crime that is worthy of investigation and prosecution. It argues that although it may not prevent the harm already inflicted, recognising the crime can help prevent it from happening again in the future.   Worldwide, over 41 million people are at risk of famine due to armed conflicts and climate change, but this number is subject to fluctuation.   Currently, the countries most-affected by conflict-induced food insecurity include Yemen, South Sudan and Syria, with millions facing acute hunger and malnutrition.   The ongoing conflict in Yemen, where the Saudi-led coalition has been accused of deliberately targeting infrastructure and blockading ports, has led to severe food and medicine shortages affecting millions of Yemenis. The United Nations described the situation in Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 10 million who are at risk of famine.   In South Sudan’s civil war, both government forces and rebels have been accused of using starvation as a weapon of war against civilians.   Numerous experts and organisations, including the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Law Commission, the International Criminal Court and Human Rights Watch, have called for the recognition of starvation as a separate crime under international law.   Lorraine Smith van Lin, a consultant for the United Nations and former director of the World Food Programme, stated that “starvation as a weapon of war is a heinous tactic that inflicts unimaginable suffering on innocent civilians. We must recognise it as a distinct crime and hold those responsible accountable.”   Dr. Catriona Drew, an international law lecturer at the University of Glasgow, noted that the classification of starvation as a crime is not a new concept.   The Rome Statute, which is the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, regards deliberate starvation as a crime against humanity. However, Dr. Drew told FairPlanet, “the application of this provision has been limited, and it has not been used in practice to prosecute those who have intentionally caused starvation as a method of warfare.”   Those advocating for the recognition of intentional starvation as a crime argue that it could prevent the recurrence of such crimes. Richard J. Goldstone, former chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, stated that “recognising starvation as a weapon of war is a critical step towards deterring future acts of deliberate starvation.”   He added, “This recognition sends a message to all parties in a conflict that the intentional use of starvation as a method of warfare will not be tolerated.”   The harm inflicted by deliberate starvation is significant, and failure to recognise starvation crimes could risk the lives of millions of people in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, said Catriona Murdoch, partner and Head of Starvation Portfolio at Global Rights Compliance.   “It is critical we recognise that starvation is a violation worthy of attention and to highlight, when appropriate, this conduct as a deliberate act, not a personal failing. Labelling it separately from other crimes is critical.”   For her, “A pattern emerges in all [cases of intentional starvation]: Shame from the array of undignified acts that range from poverty and the inability to feed one’s family or pay for transportation to feeding centers, maternal deficiencies, to [developing] negative coping mechanisms like child marriages or looting.   “The utter anguish of choosing which child to feed and which to let starve cannot be underestimated.”   The Starvation Amendment, for which the above mentioned human rights groups advocate for, is a proposed amendment to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which would make the use of starvation as a method of warfare a war crime.   The proposal was introduced in 2018 and is currently under review by the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties.   The latest international call to recognise and condemn deliberate starvation crimes came from Germany, where the starvation of millions of Ukrainians under Joseph Stalin, the Holodomor, was formally deemed a ‘genocide’ in an effort to serve as a warning to Russia. This came as alarm that starvation is used as a weapon of war against Ukrainians is spreading globally.   The Holodomor was a man-made famine imposed Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933, during which forced collectivisation policies and agricultural production quotas imposed by the Soviet government had led to the death of millions of Ukrainians. People were driven to such extreme measures to survive the famine, that some reportedly resorted to cannibalism.   While starvation as a result of natural disasters or conflict may not necessarily be considered a crime, deliberate starvation, in which individuals or groups intentionally prevent access to food, is a different matter. The intentional withholding of food as a weapon of war or as a means of control can constitute a war crime or a crime against humanity under international law.   However, the recognition of deliberate starvation as a crime is often contested, since, according to international law, the intent to starve a civilian population must be established for prosecution to follow, and determining intent can be challenging. This is especially true when the perpetrators are government officials or members of a powerful group.   Another challenge is the lack of political will to prosecute such crimes, and despite there being evidence of deliberate starvation occurring in various conflicts, few cases have been brought before international courts.   In the few cases involving starvation brought before the International Criminal Court, it was difficult to secure convictions.   There are also disagreements among experts on whether starvation should be considered a distinct crime or a component of other crimes. Some argue that starvation should be regarded as a form of torture, while others suggest that it should be included as part of a broader statute outlawing crimes against humanity or war crimes.   “There’s a lot of agreement on the principles, but there’s not a lot of clarity on the specific offenses,” Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation, told FairPlanet. “The part of the problem is that it’s very difficult to write criminal codes that are clear and specific enough to be implemented by courts and judges.”   * This article was originally published by Fair Planet on 5 March 2023 and was authored by Robert Bociaga.   http://worldpeacefoundation.org/blog/hunger-as-a-weapon-a-war-strategy-from-sudan-to-gaza http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-7717.famine-and-food-security http://worldpeacefoundation.org/ http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/famine-conditions-gaza/ http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/famine-response-overview/ http://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/famine/ http://www.ipcinfo.org/   * May 2022   Monitoring food security in food crisis countries with conflict situations, report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme for the the UN Security Council: http://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3972722?ln=en   http://starvationaccountability.org/news-and-events/deliberate-starvation-a-distinct-crime/ http://www.refugeesinternational.org/events-and-testimony/accountability-for-starvation-deaths-in-tigray-six-months-after-the-war/ http://www.icrc.org/en/document/food-security-in-armed-conflict-what-you-need-know http://starvationaccountability.org/news-and-events/gazas-civilian-population-is-starving-to-death-ipc-confirms/ http://starvationaccountability.org/news-and-events/grc-partner-catriona-murdoch-lecture-at-kings-college-on-the-weaponisation-of-food-in-ukraine/ http://starvationaccountability.org/news-and-events/protection-of-civilians-four-years-on-from-the-adoption-of-unsc-resolution-2417/ http://www.wfp.org/stories/un-barred-using-hunger-and-starvation-weapons-war http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc5240-conflict-and-right-food-report-special-rapporteur-right-food http://starvationaccountability.org/resources/starvation-training-manual/ http://starvationaccountability.org/cso-toolkit http://starvationaccountability.org/post_category/unsc-2417/ http://tinyurl.com/mryjn7nr Visit the related web page
	Increasing violence and humanitarian need in Myanmar by UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, agencies   28 Feb. 2025   United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk update on the human rights situation in Myanmar / 58th session of the Human Rights Council:   "The human rights situation in Myanmar is among the worst in the world. Today, I will go through a litany of human suffering that is difficult to fathom.   Conflict, displacement and economic collapse have combined to cause pain and misery across the country. Civilians are paying a terrible price. The number killed in violence in 2024 was the highest since the military launched their coup in 2021.   Fifteen million people face hunger this year and in the latest appalling development, up to two million people are reported to be at risk of famine.   Most civilians were killed in brutal and indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery shelling by the military, as it continues to lose its grip on power. The targeting of schools, places of worship, healthcare facilities, displacement camps and public events caused mass civilian casualties and displacement.   At least 1,824 people were killed in 2024, including 531 women and 248 children, but these figures are probably a fraction of the real numbers as there is no verified information from several key areas where heavy fighting took place.   Analysis by my Office suggests the military has attacked healthcare facilities and staff more than 1,500 times since the coup, killing 131 health professionals.   Armed groups opposed to the coup also targeted administrators, local politicians and people affiliated with the military. While this violence is not comparable in scale and scope to that carried out by the military, all parties must respect human rights and humanitarian law.   The military continued its campaign of terrorizing the population through acts of extreme brutality, including beheadings, burnings, mutilations, executions, torture, and the use of human shields. Soldiers launched unprovoked attacks on villages where there was no active fighting.   For example, last October, the military conducted at least 13 airstrikes, burned up to 1,000 houses and killed at least 25 civilians across several villages in Budalin Township, Sagaing, in one day.   Nearly two thousand people have died in custody since the coup, including 410 in 2024 – more than one person per day. Analysis by my Office indicates most deaths were the result of summary executions and torture.   There are continued reports of the systematic use of torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, in places of detention. Conditions were reported to be horrific, with squalid facilities, overcrowding, rotten food and contaminated water.   Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis continues to rage. Over 3.5 million people are displaced, and 20 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.   Hunger is reaching catastrophic levels and agricultural productivity has declined by 16 per cent since 2021. Fertilizer shortages, skyrocketing fuel prices, and trade disruptions have driven the price of rice up by 47 per cent in some regions.   The State Administrative Council took further steps in 2024 towards militarizing the entire population of Myanmar.   The activation of a law on military service led to coercive conscription into the armed forces, arbitrary arrests, often at gunpoint, and the enforced disappearance of women and men at military checkpoints and in displacement camps.   Men aged between 18 and 35, and women aged between 18 and 27, face a constant risk of arrest and recruitment into the armed forces.   This has created widespread fear and further displacement. Many young people are attempting to seek safety outside the country – putting them at further risk of trafficking, extortion and exploitation, while increasing the regional impact of this crisis.   The creation of so-called ‘Security and Anti-terrorism Groups’ at the local level has also blurred the distinction between military and civilians, putting civilians at further risk.   Collectively, these policies have had a serious impact on the economy, which was already on its knees. Three-quarters of the population are at, or below, the poverty line. Less than 80 percent of Myanmar’s children are in school, and over 3.7 million young people have left to seek protection beyond the country’s borders.   Myanmar’s Gross Domestic Product has contracted by seventeen per cent since 2020 and is not projected to grow this year. The currency has plummeted, and restrictions on imports and supply chain disruptions sent prices soaring. Inflation is projected at thirty per cent this year.   As the formal economy collapsed, crime and corruption flourished. The Global Organized Crime Index reports Myanmar was the biggest nexus of organized crime in the world in 2024..   Member States, particularly those with influence, need to work together to bolster and support ASEAN members to end the violence and resolve the crisis. That will require a political path that includes not only the National Unity Government, ethnic armed groups, and the democracy movement, but also representatives from women’s groups, youth, and civil society.   I am deeply concerned by the impact funding cuts will have on Myanmar’s embattled civil society and humanitarians. Amid challenging human rights situations around the world, I appeal to the international community to prioritize Myanmar.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/02/high-commissioner-turk-decries-litany-human-suffering-myanmar http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/third-myanmars-population-faces-food-insecurity-un-human-rights-experts http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/myanmar-implications-of-the-us-funding-freeze http://reliefweb.int/country/mmr   Feb. 2025   Myanmar on the brink as conflict fuels hunger. WFP   Hunger has reached alarming levels in Myanmar with the situation set to worsen in 2025, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. A staggering 15 million people are expected to face hunger in 2025, up from 13.3 million last year.   Those living in active conflict areas, particularly in Chin, Kachin and Rakhine states, as well as Sagaing Region, are experiencing the highest levels of food insecurity in the country. Almost 20 million people - 1 in 3 - will need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.   “Growing conflict across the country, access restrictions, a crumbling economy and successive weather-related crises are driving record levels of hunger,” said Michael Dunford, WFP’s Representative and Country Director.   More than 3.5 million people are displaced in Myanmar due to armed conflict and violence, a number projected to increase to 4.5 million in 2025 as conflict takes root and spreads to new areas.   Food is the biggest need for displaced people but spiraling costs and rapid inflation have made it unaffordable for many. The cost of basic staples – including rice, beans, oil and salt – has increased by 30 percent in the past year.   “Food prices in Myanmar continue to rise each and every month. Even if some food is available in local markets, people simply don't have the resources to buy the basics, which means they are eating less and going hungry," said Dunford.   The rapid escalation in humanitarian and food security needs in Myanmar has been overshadowed by international political turmoil and a surge in global crises, which have drawn public attention away from Myanmar.   “The world cannot afford to overlook Myanmar’s escalating crisis. Without immediate and increased international support, hundreds of thousands more will be pushed to the brink,” said Dunford.   http://www.wfp.org/news/myanmar-brink-conflict-fuels-hunger http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159641 http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-appeals-urgent-funding-prevent-ration-cuts-over-one-million-rohingya-refugees-bangladesh http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2025/02/27/myanmar-war-victims-rohingya-refugees-us-aid-cuts   Nov. 2024   Up to two million people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state face the dire prospect of famine, amid a broader economic collapse and worsening humanitarian crisis triggered by the military’s 2021 overthrow of the democratically elected government.   In a new report, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) described the situation in the poverty-struck province as an “unprecedented disaster”.   “A perfect storm is brewing,” it said, citing a combination of interlinked issues – restrictions on domestic and international flow of goods, hyperinflation, loss of livelihoods, dwindling agricultural production and lack of essential services.   Without urgent action nearly the entire population (about 95 per cent) “will regress into survival mode”, UNDP warned.   “They will be left to fend for themselves amid a drastic reduction in domestic production, skyrocketing prices, widespread unemployment and heightened insecurity.”   Rakhine is home to the mostly-Muslim Rohingya community who fled a brutal military crackdown in 2017 in their hundreds and thousands, in what the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called ethnic cleansing.   Today, nearly one million Rohingya refugees remain in neighbouring Bangladesh, where UN aid teams have had to cut food rations amid major funding shortages.   Collective punishment   Data collected across Rakhine in 2023 and 2024, also pointed to a virtual halt in the state’s economy, with critical sectors such as trade, agriculture and construction nearly at a standstill.   “People’s incomes are collapsing because export-oriented, agrarian livelihoods in Rakhine are disappearing as the domestic and international markets are no longer accessible due to blockades,” UNDP said.   It added that the restrictions put in place by the military’s State Administration Council were “clearly aimed at isolating Rakhine from the rest of the country and exacting ‘collective punishment’ on an already vulnerable population”.   UNDP further warned that the recent escalation in manipulating ethnic identity along with an imminent economic catastrophe, will deepen marginalization, disenfranchisement and put intercommunal relationships at even greater risk than ever before.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156676 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/rakhine-famine-making-october-2024 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/urgent-need-protect-children-amid-escalating-conflict-myanmar http://humanitarianaction.info/plan/1275/document/myanmar-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-2025 http://unocha.exposure.co/scared-of-tomorrow http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/myanmar http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/myanmar-un-experts-urge-course-correction-civilian-deaths-exceed-6000 http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-myanmar http://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-application-arrest-warrant-situation-bangladesh http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1157536 http://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/27/myanmar-icc-prosecutor-requests-arrest-warrant   Aug. 2024   Seven years after forced mass displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar, deadly attacks on children continue in Rakhine State. (UNICEF)   Seven years after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled violence and persecution in Myanmar, conflict continues to intensify in Rakhine State, on the western coast of Myanmar, with a surge in casualties and displacement in Maungdaw Township and reports of increasing numbers of people seeking shelter and protection in Bangladesh.   UNICEF has received alarming reports that civilians, particularly children and families, are being targeted or caught in the crossfire, resulting in deaths and severe injuries. Humanitarian access in Rakhine has become extremely challenging.   Critical services, including access to safe water and healthcare are jeopardised, exacerbated by electricity, telecommunications and internet blackouts since January. This is impacting both civilian activities and humanitarian operations.   “Seven years after a deadly wave of violence forced thousands of families from their homes in search of safety, new reports of violence are painful reminders of the continuing threats to children in Myanmar,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.   “In Rakhine and across the country, children and families continue to pay the price for conflict, with their lives, livelihoods, and futures. Parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations to protect children.”   On 5 August 2024, artillery shelling and drone attacks reportedly killed about 180 people, including a significant number of women and children, near the bank of the Naf River, which marks the border between southeastern Bangladesh and northwestern Myanmar, as they attempted to escape hostilities. On the same day, an estimated 20,000 people were reportedly displaced from three downtown Maungdaw wards.   In separate incidents on 6 and 19 August, boats carrying dozens of people - including women and children – sank in the Naf River, with children among the casualties, the latest in a series of capsizing incidents involving children.   Since 13 November 2023, the escalating conflict has displaced an estimated 327,000 people in Rakhine State and Paletwa Township in Chin. This brings the total current estimated internal displacement in Rakhine State to well over half a million people.   Across Myanmar, the humanitarian crisis that escalated in February 2021 continues to rapidly deteriorate, with children bearing the heaviest burden of unabating violence, including grave violations, mass displacement, and the near collapse of health and education service provision systems.   Escalating attacks and clashes have displaced an estimated 3.3 million people, nearly 40 per cent of whom are children. In 2024, a record 18.6 million people - nearly one-third of the country's population – including 6 million children, require humanitarian assistance.   The Rohingya population who fled attacks and violence in 2017, joined refugees already in Bangladesh from previous waves of displacement. Together, they total almost one million displaced people. Seven years later, about half a million Rohingya refugee children are growing up in the world’s largest refugee camp, with many of them born there as refugees. The refugee community relies entirely on humanitarian assistance and lives in temporary shelters in highly congested camp settings.   Working with the Interim Government of Bangladesh and partners, UNICEF provides water and sanitation, establishes diarrhoeal treatment centres, enables access to health and nutrition services for children and pregnant women, as well as to quality education; and supports children affected by violence, abuse and neglect with protection and response services.   “Bangladesh’s continued support to the refugee population – especially children - is both commendable and critical,” said Russell. “Over the past 12 months, we have been increasingly concerned about the security situation in the camps and reports of child rights violations. We stand ready to support the new Interim Government of Bangladesh to ensure that these children are protected and have access to critical services.”   In Myanmar, UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law to protect civilians, particularly children, and ensure their safety and well-being. UNICEF also calls for safe and unimpeded access to deliver humanitarian aid by all humanitarian actors.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/seven-years-after-forced-mass-displacement-rohingya-myanmar-deadly-attacks-children http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153131 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-update-no-40-16-august-2024 http://reliefweb.int/country/mmr http://iimm.un.org/evidence-of-an-escalation-in-brutal-atrocities-committed-by-myanmar-military-myanmar-mechanism-annual-report http://iimm.un.org/category/press-releases http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2024/09/report-human-rights-situation-myanmar http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/09/1154436 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/08/myanmar-turk-deplores-attacks-civilians-fleeing-rakhine-fears-repeat-2017 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/asia-justice-coalition-statement-urgent-call-accountability-rakhine-state-22-august-2024   May 2024   Statement by theHumanitarian Coordinator for Myanmar   Myanmar has this week marked a bleak milestone with more than 3 million civilians now displaced nationwide amid intensifying conflict. The figure has jumped sharply, up by 50 per cent in just six months.   Myanmar stands at the precipice in 2024 with a deepening humanitarian crisis that has spiraled since the military takeover in February 2021 and the consequent conflicts in many parts of the country, driving record numbers of people to abandon their homes seeking safety. Of the 3 million people who are currently internally displaced, more than 2.7 million people fled as a result of conflict and insecurity since the takeover. It is estimated that one third of those now displaced are children whose education and futures have been upended by conflict.   Escalating flighting in many parts of the country, intensified since October 2023, has contributed to this rapid growth in displacement. Sadly, civilians not involved in the conflict pay the highest price across the country with many seeing no other option but to flee seeking safety.   The 3 million displaced people are struggling to survive amid a widespread humanitarian crisis that has left a total of 18.6 million people in need. This is a million more than the previous year. Those in need include 6 million children.   In 2024, humanitarians have reached nearly 950,000 people in need with humanitarian assistance, including almost half a million displaced people. But this is not enough. Gross underfunding is hampering response efforts, with less than 5 per cent of requirements received more than a quarter of the way into the year. With cyclone season fast approaching, additional resources are needed now to protect the most vulnerable and save lives.   http://www.unicef.org/myanmar/press-releases/distressing-reports-civilian-casualties-conflict-escalates-rakhine-state-myanmar http://myanmar.un.org/en/267754-statement-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-ai-myanmar http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/statement-ms-alice-wairimu-nderitu-special-adviser-prevention-genocide-and-ms-mo-bleeker-special-adviser-responsibility-protect-escalation-violence-myanmar http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/06/myanmar-breakneck-speed-disintegration-human-rights-says-high http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/myanmar-report-un-expert-spotlights-role-foreign-banks-facilitating-probable   Dec. 2023 (OCHA)   Escalating fighting, surging displacement and extreme protection threats are now impacting vast swathes of the country, compounding the devastating impacts of Cyclone Mocha in May, and placing the people of Myanmar in increasing peril.   Three years on from the military takeover, the humanitarian landscape for 2024 is grim with a third of the population – 18.6 million people – now estimated to be in humanitarian need. Children are bearing the brunt of the crisis with 6 million children in need as a result of displacement, interrupted health-care and education, food insecurity and malnutrition, and protection risks including forced recruitment and mental distress.   The economic situation is placing families in increasing financial distress and coping capacities are stretched to the limit. Interruptions to agriculture and rapid inflation are making it increasingly difficult for people to access and afford adequate food, raising the spectre of climbing malnutrition. The health system is in crisis and millions are without safe shelter or drinking water.   Women, girls, persons with disabilities and stateless Rohingya people are among those impacted the most by this dangerous environment. Development gains are concurrently under extreme threat with poverty now back at levels not seen for 15 years.   This Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2024 paints a deeply disturbing picture that demands global attention and a dramatic increase in funding. Humanitarians require almost a billion dollars to reach 5.3 million people who have been prioritized for urgent assistance. We cannot afford a repeat of the gross underfunding seen in 2023 with only 29 per cent of requirements received.   This lack of funding and severe access constraints meant that an estimated 1.9 million people who had been prioritized for support missed out on assistance altogether, while most of the 3.1 million people who were reached with some support did not receive the intended assistance required to fully meet their needs.   Brave aid workers – the majority of them local organizations on the front line of the response – remain committed to staying and delivering wherever they can.   Increased funding is critical to preventing the suffering of everyone prioritized for support in this humanitarian response plan. Millions of lives are at stake and we all must do everything we can to prevent Myanmar becoming a forgotten emergency.   http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-update-no-36-3-march-2024 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/secretary-general-deeply-concerned-deteriorating-situation-escalating-conflict-myanmar-condemns-all-violence-reiterates-call-civilian-protection http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-myanmar-ahrc5565-advance-unedited-version http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-2024-december-2023 http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/myanmar   Apr. 2023   Myanmar: UN condemns deadly military airstrike on crowd of civilians. (UN News)   The United Nations has denounced deadly airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar Armed Forces which reportedly killed at least 100 people in an opposition stronghold in the northwest on Tuesday.   Military aircraft dropped bombs and fired on a crowd of people in Kanbulu Township, located in Sagaing Region, who had gathered that morning for the opening of a new town hall, according to media reports.   UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack and called for those responsible to be held accountable, his Spokesperson said in a statement.   Mr. Guterres offered his deepest condolences to the families of the victims. He also called for the injured to be allowed urgent medical treatment and access to assistance.   “The Secretary-General condemns all forms of violence and reaffirms the primacy of protection of civilians, in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the statement said.   Myanmar’s military seized power in February 2021 following disputed elections the previous November, detaining democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and other top officials.   Thousands of people have been killed since the coup, and the UN continues to speak out against the ensuing repression, human rights violations and abuses.   The Secretary-General reiterated his appeal for the military to “end the campaign of violence against the Myanmar population throughout the country”, in line with a Security Council resolution adopted in December.   Resolution 2669 demands an immediate end to all forms of violence in Myanmar. It further calls for restraint, de-escalation of tensions and the release of all prisoners.   The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also issued a statement, saying he was “horrified” by reports of the airstrikes.   “It appears schoolchildren performing dances, as well as other civilians, attending an opening ceremony at the hall in Pazi Gyi village, Kanbalu Township were among the victims. A helicopter gunship then reportedly fired on those fleeing the hall,” he said.   The UN rights chief noted that despite clear legal obligations for the military to protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities, “there has been blatant disregard for the related rules of international law.”   He called on all parties to take “all feasible precautions” to protect civilians from the effects of attacks, including by avoiding locating military objectives within or near densely populated areas.   “As I have previously noted, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the military and its affiliated militias are responsible for an extremely broad range of human rights violations and abuses since 1 February 2021, some of which may constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes,” Mr. Turk said. “I firmly believe the international justice processes now underway will one day hold the military leadership accountable for such crimes,” he added.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/04/1135522 http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2023/09/myanmar-turk-calls-new-thinking-end-unspeakable-tragedy http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2023/04/un-human-rights-chief-volker-turk-condemns-myanmar-attacks http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/08/1139522 http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1140592 http://iimm.un.org/press-release-war-crimes-by-myanmar-military-are-more-frequent-and-brazen-myanmar-mechanism-annual-report/   Feb. 2023   As Myanmar crisis enters third year, Special Envoy Heyzer urgently calls for international unity on humanitarian aid, stance on elections and civilian protection. (UN News)   The Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer today highlighted key areas for concrete action where greater regional and international unity can support a Myanmar-led process to end the violence and suffering and help Myanmar return to the path of democracy guided by the will of the people.   In her urgent call, the Special Envoy focused on humanitarian aid without discrimination and through all available channels, a unified position on the military’s plans for elections, and protection of civilians including both people inside Myanmar and refugees.   Over the past two years, the military’s disruption of Myanmar’s democratic transition has inflicted enormous damage on the country and people, and led to a multidimensional crisis spanning severe humanitarian, human rights and socio-economic consequences with serious regional ramifications.   As of the end of last year, 15.2 million people were food insecure, more than 1.5 million internally displaced and an estimated 34,000 civilian structures had been destroyed since the military takeover.   The Rohingya people in refugee camps and those remaining in the country, as well as other marginalized communities, are at heightened risk with 2022 marking one of the deadliest years for people forced to undertake perilous sea journeys.   The Special Envoy renewed the United Nations’ solidarity with the people of Myanmar and the need for protection of all communities, which the United Nations Secretary-General reinforced in his recent statement.   She reiterated the Secretary-General’s concern regarding the military’s stated intention to hold elections, which threatens to worsen the violence and instability in the absence of inclusive political dialogue and conditions that permit citizens to freely exercise their political rights without fear or intimidation.   The Special Envoy urgently calls for greater unity and commitment among the international community in three key areas:   First, the international community, and particularly donors and Myanmar’s neighbours, must come together with humanitarian actors including local humanitarian networks to scale up urgently needed assistance to all those in need without discrimination and through all available channels. A commitment to increase levels of cross-border aid, along with more flexible banking and reporting rules, will facilitate humanitarian support to people most in need.   Second, the international community must forge a stronger unified position regarding the military’s potential elections which will fuel greater violence, prolong the conflict and make the return to democracy and stability more difficult.   Third, the international community must implement measures to increase protection for civilians inside Myanmar as well as for Myanmar refugees in the wider region. Such measures could include an on-the-ground monitoring mechanism as part of the implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and its commitment to stop the violence in Myanmar, and regional frameworks for the protection of refugees and forcibly displaced people.   “It is inconceivable any form of peaceful and democratic transition can be initiated by those perpetrating harm on their own citizens,” Special Envoy Heyzer said. “The violence has to stop, including the aerial bombings and burning of civilian infrastructure along with military’s ongoing arrests of political leaders, civil society actors and journalists.”   http://myanmar.un.org/en/217185-media-advisory-myanmar-crisis-enters-third-year-special-envoy-heyzer-urgently-calls http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/04/1135522 http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/01/1133027 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-update-no-28-6-april-2023 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-update-no-26-2-february-2023 http://www.ipsnews.net/2023/02/un-hobbled-by-junta-and-under-pressure-over-myanmar-aid-crisis/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/01/two-years-after-coup-myanmar-faces-unimaginable-regression-says-un-human   25 Oct. 2022   Meeting of Third Committee of UN General Assembly: Myanmar Crisis taking huge toll on People, Military using Disproportionate Force, Burning Civilian Structures, Third Committee hears today. Delegates stress need to End Violence.   Briefing the UN Committee, Noeleen Heyzer, Special Envoy of the Secretary‑General on Myanmar, stressed the catastrophic toll and severe impact the crisis in that country is having on its people. She warned that the political, human rights and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar continues to take a catastrophic toll on the people, with 13.2 million facing food insecurity, 1.3 million internally displaced, and 40 per cent of the population living below the poverty line.   Military operations continue using a disproportionate use of force, including aerial bombings, burning of civilian structures, and the killing of civilians, including children. In this context, she condemned the recent indiscriminate air strikes in Kachin State that killed many civilians. The plight of the Rohingya people, along with other forcibly displaced communities, remains desperate, with many seeking refuge through dangerous land and sea journeys. The violence between the Arakan Army and the military in Rakhine has escalated to levels not seen since late 2020, with significant cross‑border incursions, harming conditions for durable return, and prolonging the burden on Bangladesh as a host country of about 1 million Rohingya refugees.   Calling for an inclusive Myanmar‑led process to the democratic transition, she urged the military to end aerial bombing and burning of civilian infrastructure; ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance without discrimination; release all children and political prisoners; put in place a moratorium on executions; and ensure well‑being of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. She also highlighted Myanmar’s responsibility to create conditions for the voluntary and safe return of Rohingya refugees. The recent forced return of Myanmar nationals underlines the urgency of a coordinated Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) response to address shared regional challenges caused by the conflict, she underscored, describing education as a powerful tool to prepare Rohingya refugees for their return to Myanmar. “There is a new political reality in Myanmar: People demanding change, no longer willing to accept military rule,” she stated.   The representative of Myanmar said the air strike carried out by the military on 23 October in Hpakant, Kachin State, resulted in the death of 100 people, including women and children. He stressed that the military junta is attempting to gain legitimacy through their sham recent election, while holding former elected political leaders as hostages and crushing any civic space, including independent media and civil society. Such elections would never lead to a democratic transition, only instability and permanent military control empowered by total impunity, he added.   Warning against the vicious cycle of atrocities committed by the military, he said the military offers no guarantee for the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya refugees. The sustainable solution to the situation in Myanmar is a transformative change towards a democratic future, he noted, emphasizing that people in Myanmar need protection from further military atrocities as well as humanitarian assistance.   To end military impunity, the Security Council must use admissible evidence to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, he asserted, calling also for a broader mandate for the Special Envoy on Myanmar.   http://press.un.org/en/2022/gashc4358.doc.htm http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-needs-overview-2023-january-2023 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-update-no-23-31-october-2022 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-junta-airstrike-apparent-laws-war-violation http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/atrocity-alert-no-323-myanmar-burma-sudan-and-democratic-republic-congo http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-myanmar   May 2022   Myanmar Humanitarian Update: (OCHA)   Various parts of Myanmar have witnessed an escalation in fighting, further entrenching the already fragile humanitarian situation. The impact on civilians is worsening daily with frequent indiscriminate attacks and incidents involving explosive hazards, including landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERWs).   According to UN figures, the number of IDPs people since the 2021 military takeover now exceeds 694,300, bringing the overall number of displaced people across the country to more than one million. Thousands of IDPs who have already fled their homes are being forced to move for a second or third time. An estimated 40,200 people have crossed the borders into neighbouring countries since the takeover.   More than 12,700 civilian properties, including houses, churches, monasteries, and schools are estimated to have been destroyed during hostilities, although figures are difficult to verify. This will make IDP returns more difficult even if the situation improves. Consequently, complex needs are surfacing, requiring immediate humanitarian responses to save lives and protect those affected, supporting them to live in dignified conditions.   In addition to this constant risk and fear they are enduring daily, thousands of people across the country are living in distress due to the increasing price of essential commodities, including food and fuel, partly due to the conflict in Ukraine which has impacted global supplies.   For example, the price of diesel soared by 20 per cent from February to March 2022, and by another seven per cent from March to April 2022.5 On average, as of mid-April 2022, fuel prices are nearly two and a half times higher than February 2021. This inflation has affected people’s purchasing power, particularly food security and shelter.   Humanitarians continue providing critical life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people despite access challenges and limited funding. During the first quarter of 2022, 2.6 million people were reached with humanitarian assistance (41 per cent of the 2022 HRP target). Inflation in commodity prices, including food, fuel, shelter materials and Non Food Items, has become a major concern to partners in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable people.   The Nutrition Cluster is facing possible pipeline breaks for both preventative and therapeutic nutrition supplies due to under-funding and taxation issues. Funding for agriculture support to vulnerable farmers is a priority for food security partners with fears that this lack of investment in livelihoods assistance could lead to food unavailability and unaffordability in rural areas.   Across the country, humanitarian actors, including the UN, INGOs, and local partners, continue responding to both preexisting and emerging needs wherever possible, providing critical life-saving assistance in spite of the constrained operational environment and limited funding.   As of the end of the first quarter of 2022, 2.6 million people had been reached with humanitarian assistance. This represents 41 per cent of the people targeted (6.2 million) in the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan   demonstrating the humanitarian community’s capacity to scale-up logistically when access and funding are available. However, the funding situation for 2022 is now dire with the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan only 10 per cent funded, 5 months into the year, leaving a gap of US$740m.   http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-humanitarian-update-no-18-31-may-2022 http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1120292 http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/families-myanmar-lose-more-half-their-income-year-conflict-says-save-children http://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2022/5/628e04824/unhcrs-grandi-urges-redoubled-support-rohingya-refugees-host-communities.html   Nov. 2021   Increasing violence and humanitarian need in Myanmar   The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is deteriorating. Across the country, there are now more than 3 million people in need of life-saving humanitarian assistance because of growing conflict and insecurity, COVID-19 and a failing economy. Without an end to violence and a peaceful resolution of Myanmar’s crisis, this number will only rise.   Since the 1 February armed forces takeover, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes due to violence across the country, and 223,000 people remain internally displaced.   This includes 165,000 in the south-east of the country and is on top of a significant population of people who were already displaced in Rakhine, Chin, Shan and Kachin states prior to the takeover.   Long-term displacement remains unresolved, with 144,000 Rohingya people still confined to camps and camp-like settings in Rakhine, many since their displacement in 2012, and more than 105,000 people displaced in Kachin and Shan, many for years. I am also increasingly concerned about reports of rising levels of food insecurity in and around urban areas, including in Yangon and Mandalay.   In recent weeks, the situation in the north-west of the country has become extremely concerning, with an escalation in hostilities between the Myanmar Armed Forces and the Chinland Defence Force in Chin state, and with the People’s Defence Forces in Magway and Sagaing regions.   More than 37,000 people, including women and children, have been newly displaced, and more than 160 homes have been burned, including churches and the offices of a humanitarian organization. Attacks directed against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian workers and facilities, are clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law and must stop immediately.   Humanitarian workers are providing assistance to those in need across Myanmar. So far this year they have reached more than 1.67 million people with food, cash and nutrition assistance. They stand ready to do more but remain constrained by lack of humanitarian access and funds.   Access to many people in desperate need across the country remains extremely limited due to bureaucratic impediments put in place by the armed forces. I call on the Myanmar armed forces — and all parties — to facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access.   I also call on the international community to fund the response. Less than half of the US$385 million required under the Humanitarian Response Plan and Interim Emergency Response Plan launched after the armed forces’ takeover has been received. The people of Myanmar need our help to ensure that their basic rights are upheld and they can live with dignity.   The world is watching. I urge all parties to fully respect their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians, ensure civilians can freely move towards safety when needed, and allow humanitarian assistance to be provided to those in need, including those being forced to flee the violence.   http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/statement-erc-martin-griffiths-regarding-increasing-violence-and-humanitarian-need http://www.savethechildren.net/news/violence-intensifies-myanmar-least-150000-children-forced-their-homes-year-military-coup http://www.acaps.org/country/myanmar/crisis/country-level http://bit.ly/3ocxJZ7 Visit the related web page
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