Averting a Lost Generation

As Myanmar grapples with escalating conflict, now in its fourth year, children are increasingly bearing the devastating consequences and enduring the heaviest toll of violence, displacement, and disruption to critical services like health and education, putting their survival and well-being at grave risk. 

Children, who make up one-third of this uprooted population, have been torn from their communities and are now confronting an uncertain and precarious future.  

Schools, hospitals, and playgrounds—once safe spaces—are now ravaged by airstrikes, landmines, and violence. In 2024, over 750 children were killed or maimed due to conflict, and the toll continues to rise. 

The near collapse of essential services has pushed children and families to the brink. Already weakened by COVID-19, the public healthcare system is now crippled by conflict, insecurity, and the exodus of healthcare workers, leaving many children without vital care. Over 1 million children are missing out on critical immunizations, making Myanmar a global hotspot for "zero-dose" children and heightening the risk of deadly disease outbreaks.

Nearly 5 million children are not accessing an education, robbing them of the chance to learn and exposing them to grave risks, including forcible recruitment by conflict actors, child labour, early/forced marriage, and exploitation. 

Food insecurity and malnutrition are reaching alarming levels, with 55 per cent of children living in poverty and many displaced families struggling to meet their basic needs. Families of children living with disabilities are among the most vulnerable, as the collapse of social safety nets and the inability of families to afford specialized care have left these children without the support they desperately need.

Natural disasters, including severe storms and annual monsoon floods, have further worsened the plight of children in Myanmar. In 2024, Typhoon Yagi directly affected over 300,000 children, with several schools damaged. Overcrowded camps and vulnerable communities faced acute watery diarrhoea outbreaks and worsening living conditions, with ripple effects continuing into 2025.

Despite best efforts to rapidly scale up life-saving assistance amidst escalating conflict—navigating the worsening insecurity, access constraints, and bureaucratic impediments—the response is critically underfunded. In 2024, only 25 percent of the $208 million needed was received, leaving many children without the support they urgently required. 

This cannot continue in 2025. Without immediate and sustained action to ensure a scale-up in assistance, the risks to Myanmar’s children grow ever more dire, threatening to create a lost generation.

In 2025, UNICEF is appealing for $286 million to deliver life-saving assistance and critical services to 4.1 million of the most vulnerable children and families across Myanmar. Without this funding, children will face malnutrition, disease outbreaks, lack of clean water, and loss of education, putting their futures at grave risk. 

A significant portion of Myanmar’s child population is teetering on the brink, with many at risk of irreparable harm if immediate action is not taken. Urgent action and global solidarity are critical to preventing further devastation and securing their future. Ensuring timely, sufficient, and flexible funding will play a key role in supporting critical humanitarian interventions to address their urgent needs.