Myanmar

Overview

At least 941,000 people in Myanmar are in need of assistance. The driver of humanitarian needs is the longstanding conflict between the Myanmar Army and various ethnic armed groups. ? 

In Rakhine conflict escalated in August 2017 when ARSA fighters attacked police and military posts. The army retaliated with a violent crackdown against the Rohingya population, causing over 700,000 people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, adding to the approximately 200,000 refugees that were already living in Cox’s Bazar. Almost 128,000 people are still living in IDP camps in Rakhine, as of 31 January. ? Additionally, since January 2019 fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army has escalated in northern Rakhine. By 6 April 2019, some 27,000 people have been newly displaced, and are living in temporary shelters in Ponnakyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Rathedaung, and Buthidaung townships.  ?

About 105,138 people are internally displaced in northern Shan and Kachin states due to conflict. Almost 38,000 people, or 35% of the IDPs, live in non-government-controlled areas, where access is limited or restricted. ?

For 2019, INFORM measures Myanmar's risk of humanitarian crisis and disaster at 6.6/10. The country scored particularly high in the "Hazard and exposure" category, at 8.6/10. 

Latest Developments

22/08: Myanmar is going through an outbreak of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF), with more than 10,750 people affected since the beginning of 2019, and 48 related fatalities. Ayeyarwady region has seen the most cases with 1,974 cases, followed by Yangon region with 1,788 cases. Mandalay region, and Rakhine and Mon states, also reported high number of cases. Children between 5-9 years old are predominately infected, with 4,473 cases recorded.
Dengue outbreaks are a regular occurrence in Myanmar. In 2018, there were more than 23,000 DHF cases recorded.? 

21/08: The death toll of the landslide in Paung township of Mon state, that took place on 9 August, has reached 75. Around 40 people are still missing, according to local residents. Approximately 97,000 people in Bago, Kayin, Magway, Mandalay, Mon, Sagaing, Yangon, and Tanintharyi states/regions are still displaced due to flooding caused by monsoon rains. Mon state is the most affected: some 37,240 people are displaced, and entire villages are still under water. More than 500 schools in Mon were closed, and many will need to be completely rebuilt. Livelihoods have also been severely affected, as large tracts of farmland were flooded, and rice harvests were lost.
According to the National Disaster Management Committee, at least 201,000 people have been displaced due to monsoon rains since 25 June 2019, with 82 related fatalities.?

Read the ACAPS Briefing Note on floods in Mrauk-U Township here.