It should be noted that after the military coup in Myanmar, millions of people are trapped in the humanitarian crisis and hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives in the ongoing violence.
The UN secretary-general’s appeal on Friday came as UN aid agencies warned that millions of people in Myanmar are in dire need of basic necessities.
The situation is said to be particularly critical in the northern, southeastern and Rakhine states.
UN humanitarian agencies say monsoon rains and severe flooding have worsened an already dire situation, disrupting humanitarian supplies and creating a shortage of much-needed relief funds.
At a meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday, UN chief Antonio Guterres said the humanitarian situation was deteriorating.
“A third of the population is in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with millions forced to flee their homes.”
He also supports stronger cooperation between the UN Special Envoy and the ASEAN Chair in exploring innovative ways to advance the Myanmar-led process.
The UN chief said it is important to effectively implement the ASEAN 5-point consensus for peace in Myanmar.
The consensus plan includes an immediate end to violence, dialogue between all parties and increased delivery of humanitarian aid.
Humanitarian aid is needed
According to OCHA, the UN’s disaster relief coordination agency, nearly 3 million people have been displaced across Myanmar, fleeing the violence and unrest of the past three years.
This situation has created huge humanitarian needs, especially in the North, Southeast and Rakhine states.
According to media reports, around 1 million people have been affected by monsoon rains, severe floods and subsequent Cyclone Yagi since the beginning of September. At least 360 people died in the floods and many people were injured in different areas.
Deep concern has also been expressed about increasing levels of food shortages as these natural disasters have washed away many crops and livestock, destroying the livelihoods of vulnerable communities.
OCHA said local volunteers are cleaning up areas where floodwaters have receded, but there is a risk of flooding due to continued rain and swollen rivers.
So far, food items have been delivered to one and a half million people in the South-East, North-West and Rakhine states in the aid program of the United Nations. Apart from this, there are plans to provide assistance to an additional 73 thousand people in the southeastern region.
More than 80,000 people in the North West region have been provided with clean water, sanitation and hygiene kits, as well as shelter materials and some other items.