Myanmar

Myanmar has endured a long history of insecurity and conflict, which escalated dramatically in 2021, spreading rapidly across the entire country. Today, Myanmar is gripped by one fo the most violent conflicts in the world. 

The scale of the humanitarian crisis is staggering. One-third of the population—18.6 million people, including 6 million children— are in desperate need of aid. Over 3.4 million people have been displaced from their homes. Many of the displaced are left without adequate shelter, exposed to harsh weather, and struggling to survive in increasingly dire conditions. 

The impact on children is particularly harrowing. In the first six months of 2024 alone, a child lost their life everyday as a direct result of the ongoing conflict. Children are experiencing distress, anxiety, depression, and fear, leading to both immediate and long-term psychological and social suffering for them and their caregivers.

Education, a fundamental right, is also under threat. Around 4.5 million children now require educational support due to disruption in safe learning opportunities. in 2023, more than a quarter (28%) of children aged 6-17 were out of school. 

The economic downturn, volatile exchange rates, and soring market prices have left the general population struggling to afford even the most basic necessities. Access to healthcare is equally dire, with preventable diseases claiming many children's lives and malnutrition posing a growing threat to those without sufficient food. A 2024 analysis further revealed that 25% of the population now faces high acute food insecurity.

Compounding the crisis, Myanmar is also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. in 2024, flooding during the monsoon season was eight times worse than the previous year, displacing even more families and exacerbating an already critical situation.

Myanmar's children need our collective support now more than ever. Save the Children is on the ground, doing everything possible to support affected communities. Since 1995, Save the Children has been a neutral and impartial organization in Myanmar, committed to ensuring that children have the chance to survive, learn, and be protected.