Accountability to Affected Populations and Community Engagement Working Group Myanmar: Collective Accountability to Affected Populations Strategy for Myanmar 2025-2026

[Excerpt]

Background

In Myanmar, humanitarian needs continue to increase due to escalating conflicts which continue to cause mass displacement and exacerbate existing vulnerabilities of affected people. The Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, 2024 (HNRP 2024) highlights that out of 18.6 million people in need in Myanmar, 52% are women and girls, 32 % are children and 13% are people with disabilities.

Since February 2021, the people of Myanmar have faced significant economic, political, and social crises, resulting in widespread and multifaceted humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding needs. Displacement continues unabated and as of 7 October 2024, an estimated 3,441,200 individuals are displaced, with 3,163,700 having been displaced since the military takeover in February 2021. Displacement has specifically increased drastically since the expansion of conflict in October 2023, with over 40% or 1,452,000 individuals being displaced in the last 12 months alone. This is compounded by a severely restricted operating environment, with the movement of people and transportation of goods being heavily curtailed and interruptions to phone and internet services impacting on humanitarian operations.

Humanitarian access and space continue to be impeded by several factors - including operational impediments, hard-to-reach rural, mountainous, or jungle areas people are displaced to, and conflict-related insecurity leading to roadblocks, checkpoints and travel restrictions.
Protection risks are grave, with increasing risks of injuries due to explosive ordnance and greater risks of discrimination, exploitation, abuse, and violence, compounded by a breakdown of social structures and support systems as well as limited access to the legal system. With ongoing insecurity, disruptions to key services and difficulties in transporting goods, households are struggling to meet their basic needs and to access food, essential medical care, adequate shelter, and key household supplies. Recent flooding due to the seasonal monsoon and the impacts of Typhoon Yagi has highlighted Myanmar’s very high level of risk related to natural hazards, with over 1 million people in 70 townships being affected by flooding, and vast destruction of and damage to infrastructure, housing and livelihoods. Development gains across the country have been lost through the combined impact of conflict and natural hazards.