55% of children in Myanmar living in poverty: Unicef Myanmar says
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Eain (NP News) – Feb 16
In Myanmar, food insecurity and malnutrition are in an alarming situation, and 55 percent of children in Myanmar are living in poverty, according to the statement released by the Unicef Myanmar. It has been four years now that Myanmar has been struggling with various escalating conflicts. These conditions are causing the greatest damage to Myanmar children and violence, displacement and health; Unicef Myanmar announced that many losses, such as the interruption of important services such as education, seriously threaten the survival and well-being of Myanmar children.
About one-third of the displaced are children, and they have been forced to leave their communities and now face an uncertain future. By 2024, 750 children will be killed (or injured) by conflict, and that number will continue to rise, according to Unicef Myanmar.
In addition, the public health care system, which has already deteriorated due to the Covid-19 epidemic, is now heavily damaged by conflicts, insecurity and the mass exodus of health workers, and many children do not have access to important health care.
Unicef Myanmarś announcement says that nearly five million children do not have access to education and are missing out on their opportunities to learn and are also facing serious risks, including forced recruitment by parties to the conflict, use as child labor, forced early marriage and exploitation.
Similarly, food insecurity and malnutrition have reached alarming levels, and 55 percent of children in Myanmar are living in poverty, many displaced families are struggling to meet basic needs, children with disabilities and their families are the most vulnerable due to the collapse of social security networks and the inability to afford special care, published by Unicef Myanmar.
In addition, in 2024, more than 300,000 children were affected by the Typhoon Yagi and many schools were destroyed, and the overpopulated displaced people camps and vulnerable communities are facing severe diarrheal diseases caused by water, as well as poor living conditions, and its effects will continue until 2025, according to Unicef Myanmar.
In 2024, only 25 percent of the 208 million dollars required was received, and many children did not receive the assistance they needed. In 2025, Unicef needed 286 million US dollars to provide life-saving and emergency services for the 4.1 million most vulnerable children and families in Myanmar, they may face the loss of education, according to the Unicef Myanmar.