UN Urges World to Help the Starving in Forgotten Asian Crises

Two intense crises are raging in different parts of Asia, while major powers and a large part of the world is seemingly distracted by the war in Ukraine and global warming.

Afghanistan and Myanmar are both caught in traumatic humanitarian crises created by woeful decisions by the military forces in power – the Taliban in Kabul, and the Tatmadaw (or Burmese military) in Naypyidaw.

UN staff are attempting to alleviate widespread suffering in both countries, but global appeals for support have been badly under-funded.

Afghanistan is classed as the world’s largest and most severe humanitarian crisis with 28.3 million people in need life-saving assistance to survive.

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The Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Dr Ramiz Alakbarov, said on Thursday Afghanistan is rapidly moving towards a cliff-edge due to severe underfunding and bans on female aid workers, which are disabling aid deliveries.

“The profound effect of the pre-existing ban on NGO female aid workers plus the recent extension to all female United Nations personnel inflicts yet another unthinkable and devastating blow against Afghan women,” he said.

“While the impact of these bans may not be seen immediately, it will further undermine humanitarian partners’ ability to support the population, especially the most vulnerable, such as women and girls.”

The UN has called for funding of $4.6 billion, but has received less than 5% to date, just $213 million, Alakbarov said, despite the fact 20 million of its people face severe hunger and six million of those are “one step away from famine”.

This, he said, was the UN’s lowest funded operation globally, suggesting widespread disgust at the Taliban’s appalling treatment of women and girls.

Levels of moderate acute malnutrition are also the highest ever recorded in the country, with an estimated four million children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, the UN said.

“The world cannot abandon the people of Afghanistan at this precarious moment,” Dr Alakbarov said. “While we continue to engage with the Taliban de-facto authorities to find a solution to these decrees, we urge the international community not to punish the Afghan people further by withholding critical funding.”

Refugees flee into Thailand

Meanwhile, conflict continues to rage on several different fronts in Myanmar, notably in Magwe, Sagaing and Chin State in the northwest, Kayah and Kayin states in the southeast and parts of Shan State in the northeast.

Fighting close to Shwe Kokko, a controversial casino enclave set up by Chinese triads and a local border guard force five years ago, caused more than 1,000 people to flee across the Thai border on Thursday.

“Their arrival brought the number of recent refugees from Myanmar in Mae Sot and Mae Ramat districts to more than 8,000,” the Bangkok Post reported, adding that they were being aided by local officials, soldiers and police, while local citizens were helping to provide them with food.

The overthrow of the popular elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi has spurred a revolution that shows no sign of dimming, wiping out the economic gains achieved over the previous decade.

UN officials say 17.6 million people – nearly one third of the population – are in humanitarian need. “As of 27 March, almost 1.8 million people remain displaced across the country.”

Most are in the northwest, where the Burmese Army has run amok, burning dozens of villages near multiple sites of conflict.

“A quarter of the way into the year, the $764m Humanitarian Response Plan is only 8% funded,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in an update on Thursday.

The UN is targeting aid for 4.5 million of those in most severe need, predominantly in conflict-affected rural areas.

The war has also created serious environmental concerns with both state and rebel forces logging the country’s national parks in a bid to buy weapons and refill the state’s dwindling coffers.