Myanmar junta is allowing only limited access to humanitarian aid for those in need in Rakhine State, two months after Cyclone Mocha hit the western state on 14 May, according to a UNOCHA report on 15 July.

The UN and its partners continue to advocate for expanded access to communities affected by the cyclone and have resubmitted the previously approved distribution and transportation plans to the Military Council for reactivation, while humanitarian assistance is crucial, particularly during the ongoing monsoon season.

Rakhine State, the epicentre of the major damage caused by Cyclone Mocha, is facing a hold-up in aid approval.

The report also said that ongoing conflict and natural disasters in Myanmar are continuing to exacerbate humanitarian needs across the country, beyond the most damaged area, Rakhine State. Nearly 1.9 million internally displaced people face precarious living conditions and urgently need critical and lifesaving assistance.

Countrywide, restrictions on humanitarian access have increased in multiple states and regions, notably in the Southeast and in Kachin State, further impeding timely and efficient aid delivery to affected and displaced communities.

The UNOCHA report also emphasized that the combined US$886.7 million Humanitarian Response Plan

The report also updated figures related to heavy fighting in several parts of the country, with the vast majority (almost 1.6 million people) fleeing their homes since the military takeover in February 2021. In addition, more than 70,000 civilian houses and structures, including religious buildings, are estimated to have been burnt down or destroyed in conflict-affected states and regions, mostly in the country’s Northwest.