Over 1.2 mln people remain displaced in Myanmar: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- More than 1.2 million people are now displaced across Myanmar, including over 866,000 people displaced by the conflict and insecurity since the military takeover in February 2021, said a UN spokesman on Monday.

The remaining 346,000 people were displaced from previous conflicts, the majority of whom are in Rakhine State, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Inflation in commodity prices since May 2022, including food and fuel, is deepening people's socio-economic stress, he said.

Together with local partners, the United Nations is trying to reach 6.2 million people with life-saving assistance this year, said Dujarric. "We have reached around half of our target with at least one form of humanitarian assistance at mid-year, despite access constraints and funding shortfalls. To reach the remaining vulnerable communities, we need better access and additional funding, especially in light of inflation."

So far, the UN 2022 humanitarian response plan for Myanmar is only 13 percent funded, leaving a gap of 719 million U.S. dollars, he told a daily press briefing.

All clusters are seriously underfunded, threatening their ability to respond to growing needs. If the funding dries up, so do UN operations, he warned.