Millions of Myanmar starve: UN

 

Millions of Myanmar starve: UN

Published: 2021-04-22

A protester protests in front of a roadblock in Mandalay, Myanmar.

The United Nations have warned that food insecurity is on the rise amid a military coup and a deepening financial crisis in Myanmar.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Thursday that if the situation continues, millions of people will starve in the coming months.

An analysis by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) found that more than 3.4 million people in Myanmar will face food shortages in the next three to six months.

The situation could worsen, especially in urban areas, where the number of people losing their jobs in the manufacturing, construction and services sectors is rising and food prices are rising.

Stephen Anderson, WFP's Resident Representative in Myanmar, said: "There are a lot of poor people who have lost their jobs and can't afford to buy food. A concerted effort is now needed to prevent the worsening deterioration of food security and the immediate relief of suffering. ”

According to the WFP, rice prices have risen by five percent and edible oil by 18 percent since the end of February. Families in the country's commercial capital, Yangon, are eating less nutritious food and falling into debt.

The agency said it plans to triple its activities in Myanmar to provide assistance to 3.3 million people and has requested ১০ 106 million in funding.

A spokesman for Myanmar's military junta was called to respond to a request for comment, but did not return calls, according to Reuters.

On February 1, the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power in Myanmar. Since then, more than 637 people have been killed by security forces in a series of anti-coup protests, according to a human rights group.

 

The country's banking sector has also come to a standstill since the military coup. Many bank branches have been closed. As a result, businesses are not able to repay debts, customers are not able to withdraw money.

The World Bank has forecast that Myanmar's GDP could shrink by 10 percent in 2021.

Prior to the military coup, about 2.8 million people in Myanmar was thought to be "food insecure", according to the WFP.

The coronavirus epidemic has had a major negative impact on the country's economy, which has become quite active recently after the lifting of international sanctions.