Avoidable Deprivations in Humanitarian Aid to Ethnic Civilians Displaced by War in Kachin State, Myanmar
Since war reignited in Myanmar’s Kachin State in 2011, more than 100,000 displaced civilians in Kachin and northern Shan states have been struggling to survive without adequate access to life-saving aid and assistance. While it is widely known that displaced populations in Kachin State lack adequate access to aid, much less is known about why and how aid fails to reach those in need.
This report documents the Myanmar authorities’ weaponization of humanitarian aid in Kachin State.
Based on nearly 200 in-depth interviews since 2013, “They Block Everything”: Avoidable Deprivations in Humanitarian Aid to Ethnic Civilians Displaced by War in Kachin State, Myanmar reveals how the Government of Myanmar has blocked humanitarian organizations from providing aid and how government-imposed restrictions have forced conflict-affected communities to survive without adequate access to food, healthcare, shelter, and other aid and assistance. Fortify Rights is working to ensure the Government of Myanmar ends its arbitrary restrictions on humanitarian aid and ensures all displaced populations have access to the rights and protections guaranteed by international humanitarian and human rights law.