The United Nations warned that Myanmar’s crisis is getting worse as deadly floods combine with ongoing fighting, leaving urgent needs unmet because violence blocks aid access. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said the situation needs an end to violence and open access for relief workers. Monsoon rains and flooding, made worse by Cyclone Wipha, have hit areas already torn apart by conflict and a devastating earthquake in March.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the military coup in February 2021 that overthrew the elected government and jailed leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 3.3 million people are now displaced inside the country, with another 182,000 seeking refuge abroad. Over 1.2 million Rohingya Muslims were forced to flee earlier, mostly during the August 2017 exodus that UN officials called “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
In flood-hit Bago, Kayin, and Mon states, more than 85,000 people have been affected. Homes are destroyed and roads cut off. Relief partners report major shortages of food, safe drinking water, and medical supplies. Three flood-related deaths were confirmed in Taungoo district alone, while six more people died in a landslide in Shan state. WHO has verified 27 attacks on healthcare facilities this year, and funding cuts have forced 65 health facilities and 38 mobile clinics to suspend services.
Floodwaters are causing spikes in diarrhea, dengue, and malaria, with growing concerns about measles and polio outbreaks due to low vaccination rates in overcrowded camps. Haq said the military’s plans to hold elections amid ongoing conflict and rights violations cannot be credible, recalling UN Security Council calls for the release of detained leaders and return to democratic processes.
Despite the dangerous conditions, UN agencies remain committed to helping affected people. Nearly 306,000 people received health services in earthquake-hit areas by July, though this was only 67% of the target due to funding and security challenges.
“The United Nations is committed to staying and delivering in Myanmar,” Haq said.
