Myanmar: EU urges humanitarian access to Rakhine state
EU Commissioner Christos Stylianides decries worsening malnutrition in the wake of military crackdown last fall
By Kyaw Ye Lynn
YANGON, Myanmar
A top EU official on Monday called on Myanmar’s government to grant full humanitarian access to the western Rakhine state, decrying the worsening situation since the military locked down the area last year.
“During my visit I saw that malnutrition rates have deteriorated after the recent crisis,” said European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides after a two-day visit to Rakhine’s northern Maungdaw area to assess the humanitarian situation there.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Myanmar), more than 70,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Maungdaw area since the military began a clearance operation last October following the deaths of nine police officers in attacks on border posts.
During the operation, the UN and rights groups have documented widespread abuses by security forces such as killings -- including of children and babies -- gang rapes, brutal beatings, the burning of villages and disappearances.
Stylianides on Friday announced the allocation of over 12 million euros in new funding for direct humanitarian assistance to communities affected by conflict in the country, including Rakhine.
“Our humanitarian partners are helping government authorities develop a food, security, and nutrition strategy for this region,” he said after his first visit to the area.
“But we still need better humanitarian access in order to facilitate a quick and full response by aid agencies to assist all affected communities,” he added.
UNOCHA said last week that the government has granted international staff access to affected villages in Maungdaw area for the first time in six months, but only on the condition that they are accompanied by government officials.
“It is particularly important to help Rohingya civilians who have suffered involuntary displacements as well as supporting their livelihoods,” said the agency.
