Myanmar Appeal

Children and families in Myanmar are enduring a steadily deteriorating and increasingly complex humanitarian crisis that is driven by conflict, displacement, natural hazards, economic instability and the erosion of essential social services. These overlapping shocks are upending lives and livelihoods across the country, leaving nearly 3.6 million people – more than one third of them children – internally displaced, forced from their homes, schools and communities. The devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake of 28 March 2025, which was followed by more than 235 aftershocks, has further strained already stretched coping capacities, pushing more families into extreme vulnerability. 

Myanmar’s health system remains fragile. Children and women, especially in conflict-affected areas, face immense barriers to accessing care due to damaged infrastructure, shortages of health workers and the high cost or inaccessibility of services. Myanmar’s under-five mortality rate – 39 deaths per 1,000 live births – is nearly three times higher than the East Asia and Pacific regional average of 14.4. Immunization coverage has stagnated, resulting in significant immunity gaps and risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. Worseningfood insecurity and economic decline are driving up malnutrition, with more children and women unable to meet their daily dietary and nutritional needs, leaving them vulnerable to wasting, stunting and other forms of malnutrition. 

Ongoing conflict, displacement, recurrent floods and the March 2025 earthquake continue to compromise access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for affected populations. Damaged systems and overcrowded displacement sites heighten the risk of water-borne disease outbreaks, including acute watery diarrhoea, particularly in areas where sanitation facilities are inadequate and hygiene conditions remain poor. 

Myanmar’s education crisis remains deeply concerning, with an estimated 3.4 million children in urgent need of learning support. Attacks on education facilities and resulting school closures or disruptions are depriving children of learning opportunities. Lack of safe learning spaces, qualified teachers and essential learning materials not only impedes children's development but also heightens their exposure to serious protection risks, including child recruitment, forced labour, unwanted pregnancies and child marriage. Without immediate and sustained support, children and adolescents face a future marked by instability, displacement and deepening marginalization. The prolonged lack of access to education threatens children’s future prospects, risking the country’s long-term stability and productivity.

Child protection needs in Myanmar are rising sharply. In 2024, 2,138 grave child rights violations against 1,762 children were verified, and children account for 27 per cent of all casualties from landmines and explosive ordnance, increasing the number of children living with disabilities. Concerns about forced conscription and rising poverty have driven young men to migrate from their places of origin, leaving women, girls and the elderly as heads of households, with increased protection risks. Many children have been separated from their families and urgently require family tracing, alternative care and psychosocial support. Displacement and the disruption of community networks have heightened the exposure of women and children to violence, exploitation and abuse, while ongoing insecurity and climate shocks continue to strain their mental health and well-being.

The deteriorating economy continues to erode livelihoods, pushing already vulnerable households deeper into poverty. Needs assessments indicate that more than 4 in 10 households identify lack of income as their top challenge, while 83 per cent of internally displaced families can only meet half – or less – of their basic needs. Cost barriers continue to limit access to essential services, including healthcare. Children and adults with disabilities face compounded risks. They have limited access to specialized services, and nearly half of children with disabilities lack assistive devices or tailored support. 

The humanitarian context is further complicated by the complex access environment, which is marked by ongoing conflict and insecurity, bureaucratic constraints and shifts in territorial control, negatively impacting timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people who need it most.

The protracted and complex nature of the multilayered crises impacting Myanmar requires UNICEF and partners to address acute humanitarian needs while investing in strengthening community resilience. In coordination with other United Nations agencies, partners and stakeholders, UNICEF will maximize the nationwide coverage of its seven field offices and cluster leadership to strengthen emergency preparedness and implement a multisectoral response, using multiple delivery platforms to address the continued humanitarian needs. UNCEF will also support early recovery and sustain resilient social systems to withstand further shocks. 

UNICEF will deliver life-saving accessible WASH services and supplies to communities impacted by conflict, natural disasters and public health emergencies, in coordination with post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction. Localization and integration of WASH efforts with health, nutrition, education and child protection interventions will help maximize programmatic impact and ensure sustainability and inclusion. 

UNICEF’s health and nutrition strategy adopts a multipronged approach, delivering equitable and integrated maternal, newborn and child health services via primary healthcare platforms. There will be a strong focus on nutrition services, immunization and outbreak response. Services will be provided through mobile outreach and fixed delivery points to reach the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, particularly in conflict-affected, displaced and peri-urban communities. Early detection and timely treatment of severely wasted children remains critical, along with preventive interventions targeting children under age 5 and pregnant and lactating women. Evidence generation will guide adaptive programming, while advocacy for equitable access to qualityhealth and nutrition services remains central to UNICEF’s approach.

Children’s safety, well-being and rights are at the centre of UNICEF's child protection strategy. UNICEF will deliver integrated services that combine community and school-based mental health and psychosocial support with case management for vulnerable children. Priorities include preventing gender-based violence, carrying out explosive ordnance risk education and monitoring grave child rights violations. Beyond emergency response, UNICEF supports a transition towards sustainable child protection systems at the community level by building the capacity of local networks and a community workforce. Training for front-line responders, and all child protection actors, embeds long-term skills and tools at both national and subnational levels, ensuring protection systems are locally led and resilient. 

Education interventions aim to ensure safe, inclusive and equitable access to learning for conflict-affected, displaced and out-of-school children. This includes providing opportunities for early childhood education and improving livelihoods and resilience for adolescents through life skills-based education. UNICEF will emphasize creating protective and supportive learning environments, particularly for girls and for children with disabilities. Activities include distributing school supplies and teaching and learning materials; training and/or incentives for educators; and improving and rehabilitating temporary learning spaces. Education initiatives are integrated into mental health and psychosocial support and recreational activities to help children recover from trauma, build resilience and stay engaged in learning. 

Social protection efforts will focus on helping displaced families meet essential needs and reduce harmful coping mechanisms. Support for children with disabilities will be expanded through targeted assistance, provision of assistive devices and access to specialized services. UNICEF will also continue to invest in inclusive social protection systems across the humanitarian–development nexus, driving more predictable support and greater resilience for the most vulnerable children.

Social and behaviour change efforts will prioritize life-saving and protective behaviours, promote preventive health practices, encourage vaccine and service uptake, counter harmful misinformation and enhance community accountability. Strengthened community feedback mechanisms will help integrate multisectoral responses, amplifying community engagement and accountability for effective humanitarian aid delivery. 

UNICEF will also enhance its humanitarian programming quality to reach children with equity, mainstream protection against sexual exploitation and abuse and prioritize vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities.