Six months since the attempted coup, little concrete action has been taken by the UN Security Council to address the unfolding human rights, humanitarian and COVID-19 crisis in Myanmar.
How should ASEAN and the international community best provide the much needed humanitarian and pandemic-response assistance? Why is it crucial to channel assistance through the COVID-19 Task Force set up by the Ministry of Health under interim government of Myanmar–the National Unity Government (NUG)–and Ethnic Health Organisations, as well as through cross-border channels, local humanitarian networks, ethnic service providers, and community-based organisations?
Together with Progressive Voice, FORUM-ASIA’s member in Myanmar, we are pleased to launch Great Expectations: Analysis of ASEAN Coordinating Centre for humanitarian assistance on disaster management.
This briefing paper summarises the dire humanitarian crises created by the Myanmar military since the attempted coup, outline ASEAN’s response, analyse the role of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) and discuss some implications for ASEAN and the wider humanitarian sector’s response moving forward.
A set of recommendations to expedite response for the Myanmar humanitarian crisis is outlined at the end of the briefing paper.
For a PDF version of this briefing paper, please click here.