Number of displaced children in Myanmar tops half a million

1 November 2022 — The number of children forced to flee their homes to escape violence in Myanmar has surpassed half a million with a rapid escalation in displacements this year, Save the Children said today.

More than 1.4 million people have been displaced by conflict in Myanmar — including 520,000 children — with 1.1 million forced to flee since the beginning of the political crisis and escalation of violence in February 2021. Of the total 407,000 children displaced since then, about 63%, or 257,000 , have been displaced in the past nine months

The figures do not include the half a million Rohingya children who have been living in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh for more than five years.

Many displaced families in Myanmar are living in makeshift shelters in the jungle and are vulnerable to hunger, illness and face risks to their safety like trafficking and exploitation. Despite the enormous level of need, Save the Children warned that the Myanmar crisis is one of the most underfunded humanitarian crises globally, and urged the international community to do more to protect Myanmar children.

Daw Mar Lwin*, 35, and her four daughters were forced from their home in Sagaing Region, north-west Myanmar — the area that has seen the highest number of displacements across the country — eight months ago. They spent more than 25 days trekking through the jungle trying to find safety.

She said: “Our current shelter is made from tarpaulin and is too small for us. It is also difficult to get enough food for children here.

“We have been here for several months, and we are all so worried about food, nutrition, healthcare and education for my daughters. In all my life, I never imagined that I would be a refugee. I had to leave our home and village because of this unprecedented violence, and I have no idea when I will be able to go back.”

Daniel*, 17, in a displacement camp in Kayah State, said: “Because there are so many people in the camp, we usually face a shortage of clean water. We also do not have enough food.

“As for young people like us, it is as if we have lost our goals. I want to have the opportunity to continue my education and study without fear.“

People living in these displacement camps are reliant on donations from local charity groups and humanitarian aid organisations to survive. Roadblocks and ever-tightening restrictions on transport and aid mean that access is often inconsistent, Save the Children said, which is having the effect of denying humanitarian aid to those in desperate need.

Nearly two years after the escalation of violence in the country, children’s lives remain under threat on a daily basis, Save the Children said. In September, 11 children were reportedly killed and another 17 children injured in an airstrike on a school in Sagaing Region. Last month, two children were killed and one was severely injured in an explosion on the way home from school in Chin State.

Olivier Franchi, Save the Children’s Asia Programmes Director, said: “People don’t just take the decision to leave their homes lightly — this rapid escalation in children having to flee is down to the very real everyday threats to their lives from fighting in Myanmar.

“ASEAN Heads of State must use their upcoming November Leaders’ Summit, to come up with a concrete plan of action to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. We are urging the UN Security Council to hold an open meeting on Myanmar and to urgently pass a strong resolution to protect the rights of children. We also need the international community to rapidly stepup funding to what is one of the most under-funded humanitarian responses globally.

“A year after this political crisis and escalation in violence started, 150,000 children were displaced. Not even a year after that, this number is at half a million. These figures serve as a warning to the world: while there are many crises the world is grappling with, the children of Myanmar must not be forgotten.”

Save the Children has been working in Myanmar since 1995, providing life-saving healthcare, food and nutrition, education and child protection programmes with more than 50 partners across the country. We are actively engaging with our partners and with Myanmar communities in protecting children and responding to their needs in this time of crisis.

ENDS

*names have been changed to protect anonymity

[i] 1.4 million people are internally displaced in Myanmar, with 1.1 million since the political crisis and escalation of violence in February 2021. OCHA data from December 2021 shows that of those displaced across Myanmar at that time, 37% were children.

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Number of displaced children in Myanmar tops half a million
Source: Philippines Legacy PH