UN decries ongoing combat in Myanmar as earthquake relief faces big challenges

Bangkok, April 11: Human rights experts for the United Nations are expressing urgent concern about ongoing military operations in Myanmar’s civil war, despite ceasefires called by major parties to facilitate relief efforts after the country’s devastating March 28 earthquake.
At the same time, a new UN report said that because of the earthquake, the Southeast Asian country is facing increased humanitarian needs while a food shortage and a health crisis appear to be looming.
“At a moment when the sole focus should be on ensuring humanitarian aid gets to disaster zones, the military is instead launching attacks,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva said on Friday.
“Since the earthquake, military forces have reportedly carried out over 120 attacks – more than half of them after their declared ceasefire was due to have gone into effect on 2 April.” The UN agency said: “We call on the military authorities to remove any and all obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to cease military operations.”
The official death toll from the 7.7 magnitude quake and aftershocks reached 3,649 as of Wednesday, with 5,018 injured.
“Over 6.3 million people are in immediate need of humanitarian assistance and protection as a result of the earthquakes, including 4.3 million people who were already in need across the affected areas and now require even greater support, and an additional 2 million people who require urgent assistance and protection due to the earthquakes,” declared a UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan released Friday
It also warned that the quake hit Myanmar’s main food-producing regions, “destroying fields, irrigation, and grain stores. Millions of livestock are at risk, and farmers now face the loss of both their harvest and their only source of income”.
With disease already spreading, Myanmar is also at risk of a health emergency, especially as nearly 70 health facilities have been damaged, and there are severe shortages of medical supplies said the UN plan.
Myanmar’s military government and its battlefield opponents, which include pro-democracy fighters and ethnic minority guerrilla forces, have been trading accusations over alleged violations of ceasefire declarations each had declared to ease earthquake relief efforts. Reports of continued fighting are widespread, with the army receiving the most criticism for continuing aerial bombing, according to independent Myanmar media and eyewitnesses. (AP)