Myanmar Emergency Update (as of end November 2024)

KEY DISPLACEMENT FIGURES

149,000 Estimated refugee outflows to neighbouring countries since 1 February 2021

1,183,300 Refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar in neighbouring countries as of 30 November 2024

3,206,800 Estimated total internally displaced people (IDPs) within Myanmar, displaced since 1 February 2021 Source: UN in Myanmar

3,484,300 Estimated total IDPs within Myanmar as of 2 December 2024 Source: UN in Myanmar

OVERVIEW

Widespread conflict continues to drive new displacement across Myanmar, exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, and significantly increase humanitarian needs. By early December 2024, some 3.4 million people were displaced. The security environment remains fraught with frequent protection incidents and human rights violations severely affecting civilians’ lives. The humanitarian situation is dire, with heightened needs in many parts of the country. Access to basic services has become seriously limited due to shifts in territorial control and challenges along main access roads, which have impacted freedom of movement, disrupted supply chains and inflated the price of basic goods and commodities. UNHCR and partners are exploring ways to adapt to the volatile situation on the ground to respond to the rising displacement and to address the most urgent needs.

According to the Royal Thai Government, over 52,000 refugees have crossed into Thailand seeking protection since February 2021. Most have since returned to Myanmar and no new arrivals have been reported since June 2024.

Since February 2021, approximately 70,700 people from Myanmar’s North-West region have sought protection in India, with 8,826 of them registered with UNHCR. In response to the escalated violence in Manipur, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced enhanced security measures in November, deploying additional security units, introducing indefinite curfews and suspending mobile internet services in nine districts which host Myanmar arrivals. UNHCR is aware of reports that authorities in Kamjong and Ukhrul districts of Manipur have instructed nearly 6,000 people from Myanmar’s Sagaing region to return by 10 December 2024, with an extension until March 2025 for families with school-going children. However, no official order has been issued yet. In Mizoram, the State government announced plans to relocate all displaced people from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur taking shelter in different parts of the State to a centralised location reportedly for purposes of administration and humanitarian aid delivery. No further development, including the issuance of official orders, has been observed yet. In Manipur and Mizoram, food, medical care and winterization materials remain critical needs. Movement restrictions and internet suspensions in Manipur have further disrupted daily life, humanitarian operations and aid distribution. The situation has been compounded by the limited resources available to humanitarian agencies and local authorities, which are straining efforts to sustain life-saving assistance.