UN rapporteur says world ‘turning its back' on Myanmar as crisis deepens
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, has accused the international community of abandoning the country amid a spiraling humanitarian and political crisis, warning that the situation has grown “exponentially worse” since the 2021 military coup.
Speaking at a press conference in New York on Wednesday after presenting his latest report to the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, Andrews said Myanmar was now suffering from what he called an “invisible crisis”, with millions left without food, shelter, or access to basic health care.
“The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is far worse than it was a year ago,” he said. “Nearly 22 million people now require aid, while 16.7 million face acute food insecurity — the highest numbers since the coup.”
According to the report, the second quarter of 2025 saw more airstrikes on civilian areas than any previous period since the military seized power, with indiscriminate attacks destroying villages, schools, and hospitals. In central Rakhine state, 57 percent of families are now unable to meet basic food needs, up sharply from 33 percent in December 2024, according to World Food Programme (WFP) data.
Andrews said international support had fallen even as conditions worsened. “The number of people targeted for humanitarian assistance has dropped from 6.7 million to 4.8 million — less than a quarter of those in urgent need,” he warned. “The world is failing Myanmar’s people, and this failure is catastrophic.”
He criticized donor fatigue, bureaucratic restrictions, and what he described as the UN Security Council’s “paralysis”, urging immediate action, including tougher sanctions, increased aid funding, and accountability for military leaders.
The Myanmar junta, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has announced plans to hold national elections on December 28, but Andrews dismissed them as a “sham” designed to legitimize continued military rule.
“You cannot have free and fair elections when opposition leaders are in prison, tortured, or forced into exile,” he said. “This is a fraud on the people of Myanmar.”
Andrews also urged governments to confront the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority, stressing that “accountability must be insisted upon.” Myanmar is currently facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the 2017 military crackdown that forced more than 740,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
Human rights groups say the crisis has reached a breaking point, with millions displaced internally, escalating civil war between the junta and resistance forces, and a collapse of public services across much of the country.
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