MYANMAR: Charity appeals

Alan Cole

Xperedon

February 20, 2013

Requests for more humanitarian assistance for victims of crisis in Myanmar

Humanitarian charities are intensifying their appeals to support thousands of displaced people in Myanmar (Burma), suffering after a relentless wave of hardship... 

Charities and human rights organisations are appealing for the government of Myanmar to do more to help displaced people of the Rakhine State affected by ethnic violence, and also for international support to help the victims of the humanitarian emergency... 

Violence has been ongoing in the region in recent years between government and rebel groups, and lawless sectarian violence also erupted in Rakhine State last year...leading to thousands of new refugees... 

Charities at work in the region include The Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and Plan that are helping with emergency food, water, shelter and medical care... 

Muslim Aid UK is another charity assisting people in Myanmar and is currently appealing for support from donors to help workers and volunteers deliver humanitarian relief to displaced persons affected by the violence in Rakhine State... 

The charity is also calling on other charities and humanitarian organisations to work with them... 

In South East Myanmar, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency is assisting over 200,000 displaced people... 

Agencies report those that have fled from fighting in Rakhine State are in urgent need of food, water, shelter and healthcare, in what is a steadily worsening humanitarian situation... 

The region is also severely poor, and has been battered by cyclones, storms and floods over the years, the latter that impacted on 70,000 people in 2012 along the Ayeyarwady Delta... 

Human rights organisations are also appealing for more action to respect human rights in the country. 

Whilst progress has been made in this respect, with 400 political prisoners released by the government last year, abuses have still been taking place against civilians during recent armed conflicts says Human Rights Watch... 

Still, further progress was announced by the government, when 24 child soldiers were released in a ceremony on February 15 as part of a commitment to stop the use of child soldiers... 

Charity workers continue to appeal to help those suffering in Myanmar, including people of all ages, religions, nationalities and cultural backgrounds... 

Appeals continue for food and clean water for displaced people, sanitation supplies, health and medical care... 

Arjan Hehenkamp, of Médecins Sans Frontières, says it is those “living in makeshift camps in rice fields or other crowded strips of land” that are suffering the most acute medical needs...