Myanmar crisis deepens five years after coup, as military ballot entrenches repression

Myanmar crisis deepens five years after coup, as military ballot entrenches repression

The people of Myanmar continue to suffer amid “widespread violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” as the cycle of impunity persists, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement, on Friday, marking the anniversary. “The suffering of the people of Myanmar has deepened,” Farhan Haq, the UN Deputy […]

World News in Brief: Iran in the Human Rights Council, Myanmar election ‘fraud’, migration chief in Cyprus, Mozambique flood update

Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Türk said that although the “killing on the streets of Iran may have subsided…the brutality continues”. He said that violent repression did not solve any of Iran’s problems but instead created conditions for further violations, instability and bloodshed. “We have indications that the security forces made mass […]

Myanmar begins defence in landmark genocide case at UN World Court

  Addressing judges in The Hague, Ko Ko Hlaing, speaking as Myanmar’s agent, said his country fully recognizes the importance of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide but firmly denies breaching its obligations under international law. “A finding of genocide would place an indelible stain on my country […]

World News in Brief: Typhoon generation, disability rights in Myanmar, new refugee-led climate fund

After slamming into the island nation on 9 November with winds of around 185 kilometres per hour (or 115 miles per hour) leaving at least six dead, Super Typhoon Fung-wong hit homes, schools and access to health services across 16 regions, UNICEF reported on Thursday. The archipelago has already been exhausted by multiple climate-related and geophysical shocks this […]

‘Wars, disasters, displacement, hunger’ continue to burden Myanmar

‘Wars, disasters, displacement, hunger’ continue to burden Myanmar

Four years after the military coup which deposed the democratically elected government, Myanmar’s civil conflict grinds on, leaving millions displaced and without a home. “The suffering of millions of people across Myanmar is immense,” said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi. “With aerial bombardments, destruction of property, and forced recruitment, they live in daily fear for their […]

Thailand grants work rights to long-term refugees from Myanmar, UN welcomes resolution

Thailand grants work rights to long-term refugees from Myanmar, UN welcomes resolution

Some 81,000 forcibly displaced people are hosted in temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border where they have been living in the camps for decades. Nearly half the refugee population were born under canvas, where displaced families have largely depended on humanitarian assistance. Over a million Rohingya, a mostly-Muslim minority from Myanmar, have fled conflict and […]

In Myanmar, conflict and floods collide as UN warns of deepening crisis

In Myanmar, conflict and floods collide as UN warns of deepening crisis

Farhan Haq, UN Deputy Spokesperson, stressed the need for unimpeded relief operations and a peaceful path out of crisis. “The UN remains concerned by ongoing violence in Myanmar, including aerial bombardment hitting civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said, at the regular press briefing in New York. “Civilians and humanitarian workers must be protected.” His remarks […]

World News in Brief: Haiti funding cuts bite, civilian suffering intensifies in Myanmar, Belarus deaths in custody alert

World News in Brief: Haiti funding cuts bite, civilian suffering intensifies in Myanmar, Belarus deaths in custody alert

Ongoing violence is compounding the country’s food crisis, disrupting local food production in critical areas such as the commune of Kenscoff and the Artibonite department, often considered the breadbaskets of Haiti. While the UN and its partners are responding “wherever and whenever possible,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said this Wednesday that humanitarians have only been […]

150,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh amid renewed Myanmar violence

150,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh amid renewed Myanmar violence

As armed clashes intensify and conditions worsen inside Myanmar, thousands continue to cross the border seeking safety in the overcrowded camps of Cox’s Bazar, where nearly one million Rohingya refugees already live in densely populated camps. “This is the largest movement of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh since 2017,” said Babar Baloch, spokesperson for the UN […]

Myanmar human rights crisis deepens as aid collapses, attacks intensify

Myanmar human rights crisis deepens as aid collapses, attacks intensify

In a stark briefing to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described a country gripped by war, repression and deepening suffering. Since the military coup in February 2021, nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed and over 22,000 remain arbitrarily detained, he said. Humanitarian needs have soared, with […]

‘Still reeling’: Myanmar quakes worsen humanitarian crisis in fractured country

‘Still reeling’: Myanmar quakes worsen humanitarian crisis in fractured country

The 28 March quake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, struck central regions with deadly force, killing some 3,800 people and injuring over 5,000, according to UN estimates. The disaster devastated infrastructure and homes across Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway, displacing tens of thousands more in a country already grappling with over 3.2 million internally displaced […]

Myanmar on the ‘path to self-destruction’ if violence does not end

Myanmar on the ‘path to self-destruction’ if violence does not end

Since then, “there has been no end to the violence, even though thousands have been killed and thousands more injured,” said UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, Julie Bishop, on Tuesday, briefing the General Assembly. “I have stressed consistently that without a ceasefire, a de-escalation of violence and a focus on the needs of the people, […]

UN warns of ‘catastrophic’ human rights crisis in Myanmar as violence and economic collapse deepen

UN warns of ‘catastrophic’ human rights crisis in Myanmar as violence and economic collapse deepen

Published ahead of the Human Rights Council’s upcoming session, the report highlighted the worsening situation since the military coup in 2021, which derailed Myanmar’s democratic transition and ignited widespread armed resistance. In the years since, military forces have targeted civilian populations with airstrikes, artillery bombardments and other forms of violence, while anti-military armed groups have […]

‘She cries in her sleep’: Deeper crisis looms beneath devastation from Myanmar quake

‘She cries in her sleep’: Deeper crisis looms beneath devastation from Myanmar quake

“I hate earthquakes. Earthquakes took my mother and my aunt away,” five-year-old Khin Yadanar told the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), after both her mother and aunt were killed when a brick wall collapsed on them. Around 6.5 million children were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake, which compounded existing vulnerabilities resulting from the […]

Myanmar crisis deepens as military attacks persist and needs grow

Myanmar crisis deepens as military attacks persist and needs grow

The 28 March quakes killed over 3,800 people and damaged or destroyed more than 55,000 homes across multiple regions, including Bago, Kayin, Magway, Mandalay, Southern Shan, Naypyitaw and Sagaing. Families already displaced by years of conflict now face early torrential rains, extreme heat and rising risk of disease. Nearly 20 million people – more than […]

First Person: Myanmar aid workers brave conflict and harsh conditions to bring aid to earthquake victims

First Person: Myanmar aid workers brave conflict and harsh conditions to bring aid to earthquake victims

Thein Zaw Win, Communications and Advocacy Analyst in the Yangon Office of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) saw the devastating consequences of the quake during a week-long visit to the Mandalay region, one of the regions most severely affected by the disaster. Thein Zaw Win, Communications and Advocacy Analy​st at UNFPA’s Yangon […]

Myanmar quake: Ongoing aftershocks spread fear

Myanmar quake: Ongoing aftershocks spread fear

Aid agencies warned on Tuesday that more than 6.3 million people remain in urgent need of support in the worst-affected central areas around Mandalay. “People [are] forced to sleep outside, safe water is scarce, health services are disrupted,” said UN aid coordination office, OCHA, in an appeal for more support from the international community. The […]

Scientists fix GPS device to pelican’s wings in Karnataka’s Mandya district

Scientists fix GPS device to pelican’s wings in Karnataka’s Mandya district

Mandya (Karnataka), Sep 12 (IANS) Scientists on Monday successfully fitted a GPS device to a pelican bird in Kokkare Bellur in Karnataka’s Mandya district. A team of scientists attached to the Dehradun Wildlife Institute carried out the experiment for the first time in the country, according to the local officials. The experiment was carried out to […]