UNOCHA sounds alarm amid rising civilian displacement, casualties across Myanmar

By Admin 11 Oct 2024

DMG Newsroom
11 October 2024, Sittwe

"Civilians in Myanmar face increasing danger amid expanding conflict and deadly flooding," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said in a report on October 10.

"Conflict persists in the Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Rakhine [Arakan] State, resulting in new displacement, civilian casualties and rising protection concerns," said the UN humanitarian agency's October 10 report.

The regime's airstrikes and artillery bombardments have resulted in daily increases in the number of civilians killed and injured in attacks not related to military targets.

"The more the regime loses military bases, the more it targets innocent civilians with airstrikes and artillery attacks," said Ko Myat Aung, a military observer.

At least 247 civilians were killed and 299 others were injured in regime airstrikes and shellings across Myanmar in September, with the most civilian casualties reporting in Arakan State, BNI-Myanmar Peace Monitor said in a report on October 9.

At least 28 civilian casualties were reported, including four people killed, in a junta air attack on Arakan State's Kyauktaw, which is held by the Arakkha Army (AA), on October 10.

"Civilians [in Arakan State] are facing increasing peril with intense artillery fire, airstrikes, drone attacks, and the contamination of landmines and explosive ordnances. The humanitarian community is deeply concerned about the simmering inter-communal tensions and reports of violations of international humanitarian law by the parties to the conflict," according to UNOCHA's October 10 report.

Human rights activists have called for more effective international sanctions in light of the regime's ongoing attacks targeting civilian populations.

"I would like to ask the international community to put pressure on the actions of the military instead of standing idly by," said a human rights activist in Arakan State. "Mass killings by the regime airstrikes are a serious violation of human rights under international law. That's why I want the international community to support the human dignity of the people and impose sanctions on the military regime."

As areas of active hostilities continue to expand across Myanmar, the number of internally displaced people is also increasing, estimated at more than 3 million, according to UNOCHA.