UNICEF Myanmar Humanitarian Situation Report No. 8

Highlights

• 23,211 people have been displaced in northern Shan by 31 October 2023 as the situation deteriorated significantly since 26 October due to a series of assaults and escalating fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and various ethnic armed organizations.

• A total of 650 civilian casualties have been reported nationally in the first seven months of 2023, injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war; 22 per cent of the casualties were children.

• 86,173 people received primary health care services and over 618,000 children aged 9–18 months received first dose of measles containing vaccines as of 18 October 2023.

• 34,316 people benefited from access to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) interventions including positive parenting.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

As of end of October 2023, nearly two million people are internally displaced in Myanmar, in precarious conditions and in need of life-saving assistance. The already dire humanitarian situation has been worsened by the intensification of the conflict and by monsoon floods which have caused new displacements, casualties, and the destruction of civilian properties.

In October 2023, heavy rainfall caused floods in southern Myanmar, particularly in Bago and Yangon regions and Mon State. The Bago River overflowed, resulting in both casualties and damage. According to ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) and media, as of 9 October, floods have caused the internal displacement of more than 12,155 people (12,000 of them in Bago Township, Bago Region). As of 11 October, media reported five fatalities and 35 people have been injured. The authorities released water from dams, to prevent them bursting, but this caused more flooding, and more people were displaced.

Fight between Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) and the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) in Kawkareik township in Kayin State on 27 October along the Asia Highway Road, disrupting the main transportation route between Myanmar and Thailand. There have been reports of two fatalities and two injuries from artillery shelling in Kawkareik town. Residents of Kawkareik and Kyondoe towns, and nearby villages, have been fleeing their homes to safer locations in Kawkareik, Hpa-an, and Hlaingbwe townships. The exact number of newly displaced people is still being verified.

In Kachin State, armed conflicts are increasing with Bhamo, Hpakant, Mansi, Momauk, Myitkyina, Shwegu, Tsawlaw and Waingmaw townships the worst affected. A camp for internally displaced people, at Woi Chyai, Waingmaw, was bombed on 9 October, killing 29 people (including 14 children) and injuring 56 people (including 4 children). More than 855 people, from 168 households were displaced once more, and the attack also destroyed a lot of infrastructure.

Heavy rainfall caused the water level to rise in Moebye dam and the authorities ordered a continuous release of water to prevent the dam from bursting. However, this resulted in the flooding of thousands of acres of paddy fields, impacting the livelihoods of local people, including displaced populations and communities in Bawlakhe township facing food shortages. Flooding in the Shan-Kayah border area has led to 1,500 people moving to safer areas and they are in need of food and tarpaulins.

In the northwest, situation remains volatile with intensified armed clashes lead to casualties and displacement and more than 63 percent of total displaced population are residing in the northwest. People displaced from Kamma township returned to their homes, but more than 10,000 displaced people are living in Theinkadoe village with no access to humanitarian assistance.

The security situation in northern Shan deteriorated significantly since 26 October due to a series of assaults and escalating fighting between the MAF and various ethnic armed organizations. 23,211 people have reportedly been displaced to 46 sites across 9 townships, seeking refuge in nearby forests or religious compounds within northern Shan State. Additionally, several hundred people have reportedly crossed the border into China in search of safety. Domestic flights to Lashio were suspended until further notice. The most serious clashes include intense gunfire, artillery shelling, and aerial assaults in Chinshwehaw, Hseni, Kutkai, Kyaukme, Lashio, Laukkaing, Namhkan, and Muse townships in northern Shan State, causing civilian casualties and widespread displacement. Seven civilians, including two children, were reportedly killed, and nine civilians, including a child, were injured. Roads from north of Lashio to access displaced people remain blocked by both the MAF and EAOs and mobile communication services have been disrupted.

Some 650 civilians have been injured nationally by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) – a 167 per cent increase in the total number of casualties recorded in 2022 (390). Sagaing Region had the highest number of casualties (39 per cent), Bago and Shan had 13 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. Children account for 22 per cent of the cases.