At Least 120,000 Displaced in Myanmar Since the Coup

At least 120,000 people have been forcibly displaced in Myanmar since the February 1 coup, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Friday as humanitarian organizations warned about a critical lack of essential supplies such as food and water.

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The latest update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Asia and the Pacific indicates that "Around 46,000 people were displaced in the south-eastern part of Myanmar between April and May due to the conflict and insecurity, about 37,000 of them displaced in late May following the clashes in Kayah State."

Moreover, the organizations warn that humanitarian aid remains "severely constrained in all conflict-affected areas due to insecurity, banking disruptions, road blockages, and pre-existing access challenges." This as people continue demonstrating across the country especially in rural areas.

Displacement upsurges have caused "water-borne diseases among the displaced population in the jungle as a result of extended lack of access to hygiene and sanitation facilities compounded by the early arrival of the rainy season," OCHA said.