UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has urged the international community to fund the humanitarian response for Myanmar by providing 385 million dollars amid the deteriorating situation in the country.
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.
"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," Griffiths said in a statement on Monday.
Since the military coup on February 1, Griffiths said hundreds of thousands of people had fled their homes and 223,000 people remain internally displaced.
In addition, more than 37,000 people, including women and children, have been newly displaced in recent weeks as the fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and the Chinland Defense and the People's Defense Forces has escalated in Chin state, Mgway and Sagaing regions, he added.
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 a 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," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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