Speaking has UN News During a visit to U.N. headquarters in New York, Gwyn Lewis, acting resident and U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Myanmar, said global attention had shifted elsewhere even as conditions inside the country continued to deteriorate.
“The crisis in Myanmar is almost invisible,” she said. “There is definitely a feeling in the country that this has been forgotten.»
His comments come as the United Nations and its humanitarian partners warn that Myanmar’s needs will continue to rise in 2026, with limited resources forcing painful choices about who can be helped.
A crisis that has been brewing for years
Since the military takeover in 2021, Myanmar has been plagued by growing armed conflict, repeated natural disasters and economic collapse. Fighting and disasters have already displaced around 3.6 million people, and this figure is expected to rise to around four million next year.
Earlier this month, the UN released its Response plan and humanitarian needs 2026estimating that more than 16 million people – including five million children – will need life-saving assistance and protection in 2026.
Lewis said many families have been forced to leave their homes not only because of the fighting, but also because of a powerful earthquake earlier this year and severe monsoon flooding, leaving people in overcrowded and unsanitary shelters with limited access to food, clean water and health care.
“The scale, severity and complexity of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar are very, very high,” she said.
Children walk through a flooded displacement camp near the city of Mandalay, north-central Myanmar, after heavy monsoon rains (April 2025).
Hunger and difficult choices
Food insecurity is one of the most pressing concerns. The United Nations World Food Program (PAM) has warned that more than 12 million people in Myanmar will face acute hunger in 2026, and around one million are expected to reach emergency levels requiring immediate assistance.
More than 400,000 young children and mothers already suffer from acute malnutrition and survive on a nutrient-poor diet.
“Conflict and deprivation converge to deprive people of basic means of survival, but the world is not paying attention.“, said Michael Dunford, WFP Country Director.
Financing gaps
The lack of funding is making the crisis worse. By 2025, only about a quarter of the funds required under the humanitarian plan have been received, leaving millions of people without assistance. As a result, humanitarian partners plan to target 4.9 million of the most vulnerable people in 2026, compared to 6.7 million targeted this year.
“We weren’t able to deliver food to everyone we wanted to,” Ms Lewis said. “Families were forced to make impossible choices. »
Access blocked by conflict
Beyond financing, access remains a major challenge.
Ms Lewis warned that Myanmar’s fragmented conflict – involving the military and many armed ethnic groups – often prevents aid workers from reaching communities in need.
Active fighting, checkpoints, road closures and administrative delays regularly slow or block humanitarian deliveries, particularly in remote and frontline areas. Political tensions and upcoming elections could further restrict access.
Families affected by the earthquake receive food aid at a WFP distribution site in the Sagaing region.
A call not to look away
Despite dwindling resources and growing insecurity, humanitarian partners reached around five million people in the first nine months of 2025, although their assistance is often limited in depth and frequency.
Ms Lewis stressed that much more needed to be done to prevent further suffering.
“Behind each number is a person trying to survive a crisis they did not choose,” she said. “We simply cannot allow this to happen again next year.»
Calling on donors and governments to refocus their attention on Myanmar, she urged the international community not to look away.
“The suffering is very deep…and the people of Myanmar deserve to be heard and seen.»
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
