VIOLENCE in Myanmar has reached catastrophic levels, with 2024 marking the deadliest year since the 2021 military coup, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. At least 1,824 documented deaths, including 531 women and 248 children, likely represent only a fraction of the actual casualties.
“Conflict, displacement and economic collapse have combined to cause pain and misery across the country. Civilians are paying a terrible price,” Türk reported, describing a campaign of terror characterized by “beheadings, burnings, mutilations, executions, torture, and the use of human shields.”
The military’s indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery attacks have deliberately targeted schools, places of worship, healthcare facilities, displacement camps, and public gatherings, causing mass casualties and forcing millions to flee their homes.
The humanitarian situation has deteriorated into a full-blown catastrophe. Over 3.5 million people are now displaced, with 20 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Hunger threatens 15 million people, and reports indicate up to two million may face famine conditions.
Rakhine State has become a particular flashpoint, with intense fighting between the military and the Arakan Army reportedly killing thousands of civilians. The Rohingya minority finds itself trapped between warring factions “with complete impunity,” according to Türk.
The crisis has forced tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh despite closed borders. Maritime escapes increased by 80 percent in 2024, with at least 650 Rohingya—nearly half of them children—perishing at sea during desperate attempts to escape.
Türk has called for immediate international action, including an arms embargo and targeted sanctions “consistent with international law—including on jet fuel and dual-use goods.” He emphasized that accountability for human rights violations is essential to break the “cycle of impunity” that has characterized decades of military rule in Myanmar.
The High Commissioner urged the military to end the violence, allow humanitarian access, and release all arbitrarily detained individuals as demanded by UN Security Council resolution 2669.
