Myanmar: Intensification of clashes Flash Update 9

Highlights

• More than half a million people are estimated to have been newly displaced due to the escalation of armed conflict since 26 October, although figures are fluid due to returns and re-displacement, while communication challenges are making numbers difficult to verify. This adds to the 2 million people who were already displaced before the current escalation of violence.
• Fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and various groups, including Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and People’s Defence Forces (PDFs), persists in about two-thirds of the country.
• Intense clashes have been reported in many townships across northern and southern Shan, Rakhine and Chin, Sagaing, Magway, Kayah, eastern Bago and Kayin in early December, causing further humanitarian needs and challenges.  
• Despite insecurity, access, and telecommunication challenges, provision of essential humanitarian assistance to affected people continues where possible using a variety of flexible approaches by humanitarian responders and partners.
• In northern Shan, an estimated 85 per cent of the newly displaced population in northern Shan have received some form of basic humanitarian assistance at least once although this is not sufficient to fully meet their needs.
• Extensive needs and gaps remain in providing regular support to all people in need with displaced people in some parts of the country normally heavily reliant of humanitarian assistance for their survival.
• The UN and partners are exploring pathways to access a greater proportion of affected people, particularly at the China-Myanmar border.
• Key challenges include road closures, movement restrictions, as well as the safety and security of aid workers. The response is further complicated by a fuel crisis, serious banking issues, and soaring commodity prices.
• In Rakhine, high market prices and the scarcity of food and household items have added layers of hardship for entire populations and vulnerable communities, including internally displaced people (IDPs) who have been facing the consequences of years of conflict and the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha.
• The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is grossly under-funded with only 29 per cent of required funding received from the donor community. An urgent injection of support is critical to enable humanitarians to respond effectively and at-scale to the escalating needs in Myanmar.

Situation Overview

Six weeks into the renewed fighting, intense fighting continues between the MAF and various armed groups, including EAOs and PDFs, across multiple states and regions. Ongoing armed clashes, air strikes, landmines, arbitrary arrests and roadblocks are rapidly increasing protection risks for civilians and are severely restricting the movement of essential goods, as well as people seeking places of safety.

More than 578,000 people are estimated to have been newly displaced in northern and southern Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Sagaing, Mandalay, eastern Bago, Kayin, Mon, and Tanintharyi due to the surge in conflict since late October 2023. However, these numbers are very difficult to verify in the current conditions with people constantly on the move both between displacement locations and back to their places of origin. Telecommunications blackouts in many conflict-affected areas are also making verification more challenging. Work continues to triangulate numbers across many areas. The widespread displacement is creating urgent humanitarian needs for support for both new and protracted IDPs, as well as host communities. Almost 363 civilians, including men, women, and children, have reportedly been killed and 461 others have been injured in the fighting and related insecurity over six weeks, according to field reports.

Humanitarian partners have identified the most urgent humanitarian needs across conflict-affected areas to be food, safe shelter, non-food items and hygiene kits, basic health services and protection support. Faith-based organizations and local responders, in collaboration with humanitarian agencies, continue to provide critical and lifesaving assistance to displaced and affected communities wherever access is possible. Despite an extremely challenging operational context, including supply stockpiles that are heavily depleted due to underfunding as well as the rapid and unpredictable escalation of needs, humanitarian partners are planning for the movement of life-saving stocks for rapid distribution, to address emerging needs in the various states and regions where fighting and humanitarian needs persist. An emergency allocation of US$7 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was granted this week to provide survival support to people most affected by the escalation of violence and surging displacement.