YANONG (ANN/ELEVEN MEDIA) – For four years, Myanmar has been dealing with various intensifying conflicts, which have significantly impacted children the hardest. According to UNICEF Myanmar, violence, displacement and interruption of vital services like health and education are grave threats to children’s survival and well-being.
Approximately one-third of the displaced individuals are children, uprooted from their homes and communities, and now confront an unpredictable future. In 2024, UNICEF Myanmar reported that 750 children were either killed or injured due to the conflict, with the figure still increasing.
Furthermore, the public health care system – already diminished by the COVID-19 pandemic – is currently being significantly harmed by conflict, insecurity and the large-scale departure of health workers, resulting in many children lacking access to vital health care. UNICEF Myanmar stated in a release that over a million children are lacking essential vaccinations, positioning Myanmar among the nations with the largest populations of unvaccinated children globally.
According to UNICEF Myanmar, almost five million children are not receiving education leading them to miss out on learning chances, and encountering significant dangers, such as being forcibly recruited by conflict parties, being used as child labor, being subjected to early marriage and exploitation.
At the same time, food insecurity and malnutrition have reached critical levels, as 55 per cent of children in Myanmar are living in poverty. Many families affected by displacement are having difficulty fulfilling basic needs, while children with disabilities and their families are particularly at risk due to the breakdown of social safety nets and the lack of access to specialised care, according to UNICEF Myanmar.
Moreover, Cyclone Ragi in 2024 impacted over 300,000 children, led to the destruction of numerous schools and caused overcrowded refugee camps and at-risk communities to encounter critical water-borne diarrheal diseases and harsh living conditions, with repercussions anticipated to persist through 2025.
Just 25 per cent of the USD208 million required by 2024 has been obtained, resulting in numerous children lacking essential support. UNICEF requires USD286 million by 2025 to deliver essential and emergency assistance to 4.1 million of the most at-risk children and families throughout Myanmar. Without this financial support, children might experience malnutrition, disease outbreaks, insufficient access to clean water and disruption in their education.
