UN says blocking humanitarian aid by Myanmar military junta may be war crime

Geneva, Jun 30 (EFE).- The systematic blocking of humanitarian aid for those affected by the recent Cyclone Mocha by the Myanmar military junta could constitute a war crime or a crime against humanity, according to a report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The report, which will be discussed at the UN Human Rights Council on Jul. 5, denounces that the critical situation in Myanmar – where one third of the population is in need of aid – is aggravated by the military regime’s refusal to allow humanitarian organizations to operate.

“In the context of armed conflicts, intentional obstruction or denial of humanitarian assistance may further constitute war crimes such as wilful killing, torture and other degrading treatment, starvation, and collective punishment,” read the statement.

“Such intentional denial can also constitute crimes against humanity such as murder, extermination, torture and other inhumane acts, or persecution, when committed in the context of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population,” it added.

The report also recalled that since the coup on Feb.1, 2022, military and affiliated forces have killed at least 3,452 people and arrested another 21,807.

Some 1.5 million people have been displaced by the increasing number of conflicts in Myanmar, while approximately 60,000 civilian infrastructures have been destroyed, and some 17.6 million require humanitarian assistance.

Against this backdrop, humanitarian workers are systematically subjected to arrests, harassment, mistreatment, and in some cases they may even lose their lives, according to the UN. EFE

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