GENEVA, March 14 (Bernama-WAM) -- United Nations human rights experts have expressed deep concern over Myanmar’s unprecedented food security crisis, warning that the worsening situation is causing severe deterioration in human rights conditions across the country.
In a statement issued Thursday in Geneva, the experts, including Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and Thomas Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, noted that more than 19.9 million people currently require urgent humanitarian assistance.
They highlighted that ongoing conflict, which has escalated nationwide since February 2021, is expected to leave approximately 15.2 million people – nearly one-third of Myanmar’s population -- facing acute food insecurity by 2025, Emirates news agency (WAM) reported.
The statement warned that the cost of essential food items is projected to rise by 30 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year. It also cautioned that the recent US presidential executive order suspending foreign aid could have dire consequences for Myanmar and neighbouring countries hosting refugees.
The situation in Rakhine State was described as critical, with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) reporting that the region is on the brink of famine, placing two million people at risk of starvation, it added.
The experts stated that soaring food inflation and declining household incomes have significantly reduced food quality, leaving more than 40 percent of children aged between 6 and 23 months without access to the diverse and nutritious meals essential for survival and growth.
The statement further noted that frequent internet blackouts across large parts of Myanmar are hindering data collection and preventing the accurate reporting of food insecurity, deprivation, and malnutrition.
-- BERNAMA-WAM
