In the first six months of 2024, the situation in Myanmar remains deeply alarming. The surge in intensified armed clashes in both rural and urban areas has led to further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis, resulting in a lack of access to life-saving health-care services, widespread destruction of infrastructure, impediments to the affected population’s ability to relocate to
safer areas and significant economic burdens. Increased security risks and restrictions on access to reach affected communities has also created steeper challenges for humanitarian responders.

Nevertheless, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continued to explore different approaches to ensure that the essential needs of those worst-affected by conflict are adequately met, all the while safeguarding the security of our staff members.

Our support included emergency response, helping affected communities to build sustainable livelihoods and repairing essential infrastructure. We also provided support for health care and promoted practices that communities can adopt to remain safe in their environments.

We helped people who had been separated from their families due to the conflict restore contact with each other, including providing support in identifying the whereabouts of missing loved ones. We also continued helping released detainees to return home safely, facilitated the exchange of messages between detainees and their families and supported family visits to prisons.

Across the country, we continue to work with our partners, including the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) and local community partners, to ensure a comprehensive humanitarian response bringing crucial support to the impacted communities. However, as the conflict spreads and violence escalate, the response to the increasing humanitarian needs remains insufficient.

The ICRC urges all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with internationally recognized laws and standards, as well as the safety of humanitarian actors, in order
to facilitate the unimpeded and e昀昀ective delivery of humanitarian aid to affected communities.

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