Raouf Mazou, the Assistant High Commissioner for Operations for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency arrived in Yangon, on Saturday 4 November 2023.

He is there to assess the humanitarian situation facing people affected by conflict and disaster, advocate for wider and more systematic humanitarian access and the need for solutions for refugees and internally displaced people.

During his visit, Mazou will meet with families affected by conflict and natural disasters, including with Rakhine and Rohingya communities to see first-hand the dire humanitarian situation in the country.

The people of Myanmar continue to endure a humanitarian, political and economic crisis that is driving surging displacement, posing grave risks to civilians, limiting access to services and causing deep food insecurity. These risks have been compounded by the devastating impact of Cyclone Mocha.

The Humanitarian Response Plan 2023 is only 28 percent funded and the situation facing Myanmar in late 2023 is bleak with 17.6 million people in need of assistance.

UNHCR is committed to addressing these pressing issues, while emphasizing the urgency of a solution to the crisis and stepped-up international support for the humanitarian response.