Latest news with #MichaelDunford
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Fears of starvation in Myanmar as UN warns of 'disaster'
BANGKOK -- Aid agencies are warning of starvation in war-torn Myanmar's Rakhine State, with the World Food Programme (WFP) making an urgent appeal for more donations to avoid a "full-blown disaster". The agency has been trying to feed the rapidly rising number of displaced people in the state, including the 140,000 Rohingya Muslims who have been living in camps since they fled their homes during communal fighting in 2012. The civil war which was ignited by the 2021 military coup has destroyed the economy across much of Myanmar and created huge humanitarian needs. But the situation in Rakhine, which has been cut off from the rest of the country because of a military blockade, is significantly worse than other areas. On 20 April, a 50-year-old father living in the Ohn Taw Kyi camp added insecticide to his food and that of his wife and two children. He died, but the quick intervention of his neighbours saved the lives of the others. This is the largest of the camps housing displaced Rohingya and is situated along the road heading west from the Rakhine State capital Sittwe. Food had become so scarce the family was starving. This account has been confirmed by four people from Sittwe who spoke to the BBC. In June an ethnic Rakhine family of five living in Sittwe is reported to have died the same way. Last week an elderly couple who had been displaced by the recent fighting between the Myanmar military and the insurgent Arakan Army are reported to have hanged themselves in despair over their lack of funds and food. The WFP has reported a 60% drop in its worldwide funding this year compared with 2024, and says it can feed only 20% of those in Myanmar facing severe food insecurity. In March, it was forced to cut aid to Rakhine despite a dramatic rise since the beginning of the year in the number of families unable to support themselves. "People are trapped in a vicious cycle - cut off by conflict, stripped of livelihoods, and left with no humanitarian safety net," said Michael Dunford, the WFP Representative in Myanmar. "We are hearing heartbreaking stories of children crying from hunger and mothers skipping meals. Families are doing everything they can, but they cannot survive this alone." Rakhine was already badly affected by the violence in 2012, and then the killing and mass expulsion of Rohingyas in 2017. Then in 2023 the military blocked all trade and transport routes to the rest of the country to try to cut supplies to the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that has advanced quickly to take over most of the state. Sittwe is now besieged and accessible only by sea and air. Farmers have given up harvesting their rice crops because they can no longer access buyers. Rohingyas are barred by the military from going to sea to fish, one of their few sources of food and income. And even when they have funding, international aid agencies cannot get to most of the areas now controlled by the Arakan Army. ''People can't go out. There are no jobs. Prices have increased fivefold," one camp resident told the BBC. "There is no income, so they are really struggling to make ends meet. Most people survive now by eating boiled taro roots." The military's demand for conscripts to fight against the Arakan Army has imposed an additional burden. Thousands of Rohingya men have been enlisted to help defend Sittwe, and those families who have not sent a man to join up must help pay to support those who have. Mohammad, a Rohingya living in one of the camps near Sittwe, told the BBC that families usually pay this from the allowance they get from the WFP. This was stopped in March, but even when it resumed in June, he said many families needed to use all their allowance to pay off the debts they had run up. The WFP says it is seeing alarming signs in all communities in Rakhine of extreme economic distress. "Families are being forced to take desperate measures to survive: rising debt, begging, domestic violence, school drop-outs, social tensions, and even human trafficking." The agency says the failure to meet its funding needs is the responsibility of many donor countries, and does not name any. But the decision by the Trump administration to cut 87% of USAID funding will almost certainly be a significant part of WFP's difficulties. Last year the US contributed nearly $4.5 billion to the WFP, close to half of all the donations it received from governments around the world. Last November the UN issued a stark warning of a "famine in the making" in Rakhine. That its principal emergency food agency is still so far short of its funding needs, and issuing yet another appeal nine months later, is indicative of the brutally unsympathetic environment in which the international aid industry must now operate. -- BBC
The Star
3 days ago
- General
- The Star
Myanmar's Rakhine state plunges into hunger crisis amid raging civil conflict
According to WFP, the number of families unable to afford basic needs such as food has reached 57 per cent in Rakhine, up from 33 per cent last December. - WFP/Bernama PHNOM PENH: Half of the population of Rakhine State in Myanmar is facing severe food shortages due to an ongoing civil conflict. The World Food Programme (WFP) has made an urgent call to the global community for increased humanitarian assistance. WFP said a combination of conflict, blockades, and funding cuts is driving a dramatic rise in hunger and malnutrition. "People are trapped in a vicious cycle, cut off by conflict, stripped of livelihoods, and left with no humanitarian safety net. "We are hearing heartbreaking stories of children crying from hunger and mothers skipping meals. "Families are doing everything they can, but they cannot survive this alone,' WFP Representative and Country Director in Myanmar Michael Dunford said in a press statement. The western state with a population of about three million has been mired in the bloody conflict for years. A military coup in February 2021 only exacerbated the situation. Rakhine, bordering Bangladesh, has also been caught in sectarian violence which has caused the displacemtn of its Rohingya minority. According to WFP, the number of families unable to afford basic needs such as food has reached 57 per cent in Rakhine, up from 33 per cent last December. Families have resorted to desperate measures to survive, such as taking on mounting debts and begging. The conflict has also given rise to domestic violence, school dropouts, social tensions, and human trafficking. The hunger crisis is caused by the prolonged conflict, severe movement restrictions, soaring food prices, and the reduction of support following a slash in humanitarian funding, said WFP. "Without urgent action, this crisis will spiral into a full-blown disaster. The world must not look away,' said Dunford. The global agency requires RM126 million (US$30 million) to assist 270,000 people in Rakhine over the next six months. The ongoing civil war between the military and various ethnic groups continues to destabilise the Southeast Asian nation of nearly 50 million people. - Bernama
Barnama
3 days ago
- General
- Barnama
Myanmar's Rakhine State Plunges Into Hunger Crisis Amid Raging Civil Conflict
By Vijian Paramasivam PHNOM PENH, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Half of the population of Rakhine State in Myanmar is facing severe food shortages due to an ongoing civil conflict. The World Food Programme (WFP) has made an urgent call to the global community for increased humanitarian assistance. bootstrap slideshow WFP said a combination of conflict, blockades, and funding cuts is driving a dramatic rise in hunger and malnutrition. 'People are trapped in a vicious cycle, cut off by conflict, stripped of livelihoods, and left with no humanitarian safety net. 'We are hearing heartbreaking stories of children crying from hunger and mothers skipping meals. 'Families are doing everything they can, but they cannot survive this alone,' WFP Representative and Country Director in Myanmar Michael Dunford said in a press statement. The western state with a population of about three million has been mired in the bloody conflict for years. A military coup in February 2021 only exacerbated the situation. Rakhine, bordering Bangladesh, has also been caught in sectarian violence which has caused the displacemtn of its Rohingya minority.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Buildings in Myanmar continue to collapse days after deadly quake
Buildings in Myanmar are continuing to collapse five days after a powerful earthquake struck the country, creating perilous conditions for rescuers as they attempt to extricate survivors from the rubble. More than 2,700 people were killed in the 7.7-magnitude quake, with thousands more injured, according to Myanmar's military junta. Hundreds more remain missing, meaning the death toll is almost certain to rise. The Myanmar Fire Services Department on Wednesday shared video of a heartwarming moment in the military capital Naypyidaw, where workers pulled a man from the rubble more than 100 hours after the quake, a miraculous rescue that offered a rare moment of hope. The man appeared tired and disheveled as he was pulled out of an air pocket between broken slabs of concrete, to a round of applause. A day earlier, a 62-year-old woman was similarly pulled from broken slabs of concrete in Naypyidaw. Elsewhere, a team of Chinese rescuers on Monday pulled four people – including a five-year-old child and a pregnant woman – from the rubble. Structurally vulnerable buildings in the country are still collapsing as tremors continue, according to human rights organizations, highlighting the dangers of the rescue mission. Two hotels collapsed near the epicenter in Mandalay Monday night, after people went back to the structures days after the quake. 'With these additional tremors, fatalities are still occurring,' said Michael Dunford, Myanmar director at the United Nations World Food Programme. 'Many people are still sleeping out in the open on the streets or in the parks because they are too scared to go back into their homes. And of course, this is hampering our efforts to reach them and to provide the type of support that they need.' Humanitarian organizations are continuing to stress the need for urgent aid, especially to more remote areas of the country. Even before the quake, four years of civil war had left millions without adequate shelter and battered health and communication infrastructure. In Sagaing town, near the epicenter of the quake, residents have described scenes of heartbreak and desperation as they wait for urgent medical supplies and food. Rights group Amnesty International spoke to three residents, who said there was a rising need for body bags, torches, and mosquito-repellant coils. They also told the group that the military, which largely controls the town, was imposing 'strict surveillance' for light vehicles traveling to Sagaing from Mandalay. 'Soldiers are inspecting deliveries, and checks can take longer if they come from other areas in Sagaing that have more connections to resistance groups,' Amnesty said. The ruling junta seized power from Myanmar's democratically elected government in 2021, sparking a brutal civil war between ethnic rebel groups and its military. While the junta has reaffirmed its commitment to allowing assistance, rights groups have criticized Myanmar's leaders for restricting access to some affected areas. 'The junta needs to break from its appalling past practice and ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in earthquake-affected areas,' said deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch Bryony Lau. Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Myanmar's military to 'refrain from deliberate air strikes and other forms of attack on civilian targets' in earthquake-affected areas. Meanwhile, a major rebel alliance in Myanmar declared a temporary ceasefire to facilitate rescue efforts. 'We strongly desire that urgent humanitarian efforts, which are immediately needed for the earthquake-affected population, be carried out as swiftly and effectively as possible,' the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which involves the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, the Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Arakan Army, said in a joint statement Tuesday. International teams, including groups from China, Russia, and Pakistan, have been assisting with rescue efforts in Myanmar. Two Indian naval vessels carrying humanitarian aid, relief supplies and food arrived in Yangon Tuesday morning. But humanitarian workers have warned that years of underfunding means more needs to be done. 'This is time, to be honest, for the world to step up and support the people of Myanmar,' UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Myanmar Marcoluigi Corsi said Tuesday. 'We keep saying that Myanmar does not rank very high among the different emergencies… The humanitarian response in Myanmar has been chronically underfunded for years. Four months into the year right now, less than 5 per cent of the required US$1.1 billion of the Humanitarian Response Plan has been received.' Friday's devastating quake was felt all the way in neighboring Thailand, where at least 22 people died in the capital Bangkok. Of that number, 15 people were killed after an under-construction high-rise building collapsed, officials said.
CNN
02-04-2025
- General
- CNN
Buildings in Myanmar continue to collapse days after deadly quake
Buildings in Myanmar are continuing to collapse five days after a powerful earthquake struck the country, creating perilous conditions for rescuers as they attempt to extricate survivors from the rubble. More than 2,700 people were killed in the 7.7-magnitude quake, with thousands more injured, according to Myanmar's military junta. Hundreds more remain missing, meaning the death toll is almost certain to rise. The Myanmar Fire Services Department on Wednesday shared video of a heartwarming moment in the military capital Naypyidaw, where workers pulled a man from the rubble more than 100 hours after the quake, a miraculous rescue that offered a rare moment of hope. The man appeared tired and disheveled as he was pulled out of an air pocket between broken slabs of concrete, to a round of applause. A day earlier, a 62-year-old woman was similarly pulled from broken slabs of concrete in Naypyidaw. The death toll from Myanmar's earthquake has surpassed 2,700, with thousands more injured or missing. Elena Vuolo, W.H.O. Deputy Head in Myanmar, describes the situation as 'a crisis within a crisis,' emphasizing that aid is being allowed despite ongoing reports of restrictions. Elsewhere, a team of Chinese rescuers on Monday pulled four people – including a five-year-old child and a pregnant woman – from the rubble. Structurally vulnerable buildings in the country are still collapsing as tremors continue, according to human rights organizations, highlighting the dangers of the rescue mission. Two hotels collapsed near the epicenter in Mandalay Monday night, after people went back to the structures days after the quake. 'With these additional tremors, fatalities are still occurring,' said Michael Dunford, Myanmar director at the United Nations World Food Programme. 'Many people are still sleeping out in the open on the streets or in the parks because they are too scared to go back into their homes. And of course, this is hampering our efforts to reach them and to provide the type of support that they need.' Humanitarian organizations are continuing to stress the need for urgent aid, especially to more remote areas of the country. Even before the quake, four years of civil war had left millions without adequate shelter and battered health and communication infrastructure. In Sagaing town, near the epicenter of the quake, residents have described scenes of heartbreak and desperation as they wait for urgent medical supplies and food. Rights group Amnesty International spoke to three residents, who said there was a rising need for body bags, torches, and mosquito-repellant coils. They also told the group that the military, which largely controls the town, was imposing 'strict surveillance' for light vehicles traveling to Sagaing from Mandalay. 'Soldiers are inspecting deliveries, and checks can take longer if they come from other areas in Sagaing that have more connections to resistance groups,' Amnesty said. The ruling junta seized power from Myanmar's democratically elected government in 2021, sparking a brutal civil war between ethnic rebel groups and its military. While the junta has reaffirmed its commitment to allowing assistance, rights groups have criticized Myanmar's leaders for restricting access to some affected areas. 'The junta needs to break from its appalling past practice and ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in earthquake-affected areas,' said deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch Bryony Lau. Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Myanmar's military to 'refrain from deliberate air strikes and other forms of attack on civilian targets' in earthquake-affected areas. Meanwhile, a major rebel alliance in Myanmar declared a temporary ceasefire to facilitate rescue efforts. 'We strongly desire that urgent humanitarian efforts, which are immediately needed for the earthquake-affected population, be carried out as swiftly and effectively as possible,' the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which involves the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, the Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Arakan Army, said in a joint statement Tuesday. International teams, including groups from China, Russia, and Pakistan, have been assisting with rescue efforts in Myanmar. Two Indian naval vessels carrying humanitarian aid, relief supplies and food arrived in Yangon Tuesday morning. But humanitarian workers have warned that years of underfunding means more needs to be done. 'This is time, to be honest, for the world to step up and support the people of Myanmar,' UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Myanmar Marcoluigi Corsi said Tuesday. 'We keep saying that Myanmar does not rank very high among the different emergencies… The humanitarian response in Myanmar has been chronically underfunded for years. Four months into the year right now, less than 5 per cent of the required US$1.1 billion of the Humanitarian Response Plan has been received.' Friday's devastating quake was felt all the way in neighboring Thailand, where at least 22 people died in the capital Bangkok. Of that number, 15 people were killed after an under-construction high-rise building collapsed, officials said.
