Myanmar refugees in dire state, UN says
YANGON, MYANMAR — The head of humanitarian affairs for the United Nations on Friday described conditions as “dire” in some camps housing refugees from communal violence in western Myanmar.
Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos called on the government to allow the UN to travel to areas in northern Myanmar controlled by ethnic Kachin insurgents who are fighting against the army, in order to provide assistance to civilians affected by the strife.
Her remarks at a news conference at the end of a four-day visit underscored concerns about Myanmar’s stability, even as the country makes strides toward a democratic society under the reformist government of President Thein Sein after almost five decades of military rule.
“There have been a number of very encouraging political developments this year but also a number of humanitarian challenges that need to be addressed where the United Nations and our partners can help and make a difference,” she said.
She called on the government to promote reconciliation in Rakhine state, where antagonism between the Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities burst into deadly violence, killing around 200 people on both sides and displacing about 110,000 people, the vast majority of them Muslims.
Amos said the level of assistance provided in eight different refugee camps she visited varied significantly, but in one in Myebon she saw “thousands of people in shockingly overcrowded, substandard shelter with poor sanitation.”
“They don’t have jobs, children are not in school and they can’t leave the camp because their movement is restricted. The situation is dire,” she said.
“In Kachin and northern Shan states, continued fighting since June last year has forced some 75,000 people from their homes and in need of assistance,” she said.
She explained that, for almost six months, the UN has not been able to provide assistance to almost 40,000 people as it is not permitted to go to areas controlled by the Kachin rebels, who seek more autonomy from the government.