The people of Myanmar are facing an unprecedented political, socioeconomic, human rights and humanitarian crisis with needs escalating dramatically since the military takeover and a severe COVID-19 third wave, reports UN News.

OCHA is a report says the turmoil as a result of the Myanmar coup and ongoing violence is set to drive half the population into poverty in 2022, destroying the impressive gains made since 2005.

The situation has been worsening since the February 2021 coup in which the military took over the country and ousted the democratically elected government. It is now estimated that 14 out of 15 states and regions are within the critical threshold for acute malnutrition, according to the report.

For the next year, the analysis projects that 14.4 million people will need aid in some form, approximately a quarter of the population. The number includes 6.9 million men, 7.5 million women, and five million children.

As the report points out, price hikes, COVID-19 movement restrictions and ongoing insecurity have forced the most vulnerable people to emergency strategies to buy food and other basic supplies.

Monsoon floods in July and August have also affected more than 120,000 people, resulting in crop losses and contributing to food insecurity.

For 2022, the humanitarian affairs office OCHA, says the outlook “remains dire”.