Myanmar conflict

In August 2017, coordinated attacks led to violence that resulted in one of the largest humanitarian crisis in recent history, with more than 700, 000 people fleeing to Bangladesh and thousands more displaced within Rakhine State. In December 2018, fighting escalated between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA), resulting in the displacement of tens of thousands of people, compounding an already fragile humanitarian situation.

 

The ICRC along with Red Cross partners is one of the exclusive humanitarian agencies operating in Rakhine, providing vital humanitarian assistance to all communities since September 2017. The ICRC focuses on emergency assistance including food, health services, shelter and other essential items, as well as longer-term projects focusing on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion. As of July 2019, over 50,000 people affected by the current conflict have received food, cash grants and basic household necessities. Additionally, an average of 80, 000 people a month receive food supplies in the northern areas of Rakhine. The ICRC also works with its partners to help communities build sustainable livelihoods and on activities on behalf of people entitled to protection under international humanitarian law.

Around 100,000 people have been displaced in Kachin state, in northern Myanmar, since 2011, when renewed fighting ended a 17-year ceasefire between the Myanmar Military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). While the conflict is of low intensity, civilians suffer from the impacts that many years of protracted conflict has had on their communities. Conditions in internally displaced persons camps are challenging, and those affected have limited opportunities to restart their lives and support their families. There is also widespread contamination by landmines and other unexploded ordinance across the state, presenting risks for civilians to go about their daily lives.

 

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been working in Kachin State since 2014. We help improve the lives of people affected by conflict through a variety of services such as physical rehabilitation and health care, livelihood support, detention visits, support for shelter, clean water and sanitation, and spreading awareness about risks related to landmines. The ICRC works closely with the Myanmar Red Cross Society in Kachin state to reach communities most in need.

While the recent break outs of violence and conflicts in Rakhine might have diluted the humanitarian situations in Shan State, protracted conflict in the region still push over 9.000 people to IDP 34 camps. Since the Tatmataw made a unilateral ceasefire announcement at the end of December 2018, there were less fighting between Tatmataw and ethnic armed organisations (EAO). However, tension in the region remains high due to the territories dispute between EAOs in Northern and Southern Shan. There has been over 600 clashes between the Tatmataw and ethnic armed groups as well as between different ethnic armed groups since 2016 up until now with little sign of decreasing, affecting livelihoods, disrupting access to education, health care of the civilians.

 

In Myanmar's Shan State, the ICRC provides emergency assistance together with the Myanmar Red cross Society (MRCS) and supports through sustainable solutions to increase the resilience of communities affected by armed conflict and the presence of weapon bearers. In 2018, we managed to reach out to over 15'000 people affected by conflicts, improving the infrastructure in health-care and detention facilities, providing physical rehabilitation services, conducting training sessions on topics like health and first aid, hygiene and sanitation, landmine-related risks and international humanitarian law. All these activities focus on meeting the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable people, be it displaced, returnees, or host communities.