Myanmar: Two years after the Coup d'Etat
01 February 2023
It is the second anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar. Since then, millions of people in the country have been living in great fear and poverty.
More than 1.5 million people have already fled from the embattled regions in the country to the border areas with neighbouring countries without certainty of returning. The urgently needed aid projects of the Johanniter and its partners are also threatened by the situation. For those fleeing areas of open armed conflict, there is no way back. Their villages, fields and forests are contaminated with landmines and can no longer be used for agriculture and livestock. Those who have fled to neighbouring countries like Thailand have no legal status, making them an easy target for human trafficking and exploitation.
Johanniter International Assistance has been working in Myanmar for more than ten years and, together with its partners, implements projects to improve health, livelihoods and inclusion, especially in regions predominantly populated by ethnic groups. Even after the military coup, this aid could be continued until today. Thus, Johanniter supports its partners in continuing to provide people in the embattled areas with everyday necessities.
In recent months, 21 schools in Karen State and in the Thai border province of Tak, where many Burmese have fled, were provided with hand-washing facilities and personal hygiene items. Johanniter is also helping to ensure that people have continuous medical supplies by building storage facilities.
"It is with great concern that we see the results of this hard work threatened and the lives of our staff and those of our partners at risk," says Holger Wagner, Head of Programmes at Johanniter International Assistance. "Despite everything, we will continue to do everything in our power to meet the needs of the people in Myanmar together with our partners."
