United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Annual Humanitarian Crisis Analysis (Myanmar)

Key Chapter Title List

1. Crisis Overview
2. Humanitarian Needs and Affected Population
3. Humanitarian Response
4. Sida's Humanitarian Funding Allocation
5. Initial Allocation (SEK)
6. Flexible Funding and Additional Allocations

Document Introduction

This report provides a systematic assessment of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar up to April 2025, based on authoritative documents released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, the situation in Myanmar has continued to deteriorate, evolving into one of the deadliest conflicts for civilians globally. The core focus of the report is to reveal this complex crisis formed by the intertwining of armed conflict, systemic violence, economic collapse, and natural disasters, and to analyze the extreme difficulties and strategic adjustments faced by the humanitarian response against the backdrop of severe access restrictions and international funding shortages.

The report first outlines the overall scale and key indicators of the crisis. According to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), 19.9 million people in Myanmar require humanitarian assistance, representing a catastrophic increase from the pre-coup figure of one million. The response plan targeting 5.5 million of the most vulnerable people requires $1.1 billion in funding. The funding coverage rate for the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) was only 39.6%, highlighting the neglected nature of this crisis. The devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay on March 28, 2025, further exacerbated the already severe humanitarian needs.

Chapter Two of the report delves into the specific dimensions of humanitarian needs and the situation of the affected population. The escalating conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) and numerous Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and People's Defense Forces (PDFs) has resulted in over 3.5 million people being internally displaced. The characteristics of the conflict include systematic attacks on civilians, deliberate destruction of healthcare facilities, and widespread use of landmines, causing significant civilian casualties and a surge in forced recruitment and maiming of children. The economic crisis, near-collapse of food production, and blocked trade routes have collectively led to over 15.2 million people facing severe food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above), with situations in areas like Rakhine State being particularly dire. Furthermore, the conflict has severely disrupted basic services, leaving over 4.5 million children out of school and bringing the healthcare system to the brink of collapse.

Chapter Three focuses on analyzing the operational environment, main challenges, and internal differences within the humanitarian response system. The report points out that bureaucratic obstacles, access restrictions, and insecurity imposed by the State Administration Council (SAC) established by the military junta make it difficult for international organizations to operate in conflict-affected areas and non-junta controlled territories. The humanitarian response is largely driven by "access" rather than "need," resulting in relatively more aid reaching junta-controlled areas. Simultaneously, there are significant operational differences between the UN system and international non-governmental organizations regarding risk appetite, low-profile operations, and cross-border aid. Although the Humanitarian Country Team is developing strategies to strengthen local and national leadership, the reduction in global aid funding, particularly the humanitarian funding freeze and cuts announced by the United States in early 2025, is expected to have a significant impact on aid operations in Myanmar.

Chapter Four details the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency's (Sida) 2025 humanitarian funding allocation strategy for Myanmar. Faced with the multifaceted and continuously deteriorating needs, Sida's strategy focuses on partners capable of providing integrated multi-sectoral assistance and protection services in hard-to-reach and most conflict-affected areas. Its funding allocation emphasizes integration, flexibility, and support for local leadership and strategic risk management, specifically covering key areas such as food security, protection, health, shelter, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and psychosocial support and legal aid. Through specific partner allocation tables, the report details the composition and amounts of initial allocations, flexible funding, and additional allocations, demonstrating the practical operational aspects of fund flows.