Dozens of people were killed in airstrikes by Myanmar’s military in western Rakhine state this week, the United Nations said, as the country remains mired in violence four years after the uprising.
In a statement late on Friday, the United Nations said military government forces targeted Kiuk Ni Maw, a village in the island settlement of Ramree, killing more than 40 people and destroying about 500 houses.
Myanmar has been in crisis since the military overthrew the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, sparking mass protests that turned into a multi-front wide-ranging armed uprising that killed thousands. were killed
Women and children were among those killed in Rakhine, according to the statement, which is attributed to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar.
“Fighting in Rakhine has recently escalated, with civilians paying the highest price,” the statement said.
“Citizens face extreme risks, severe food insecurity and near-total disruption of critical public services.”
The UN report corroborates initial accounts of deadly violence in Rakhine by a rescue worker and the ethnic armed group Arakan Army (AA).
AA released the names of at least 26 Muslim villagers it said were among those killed, and 12 wounded in the attack.
Photos of the aftermath of the bombing, obtained by AFP news agency, showed stunned residents in charred, smoking ruins, the ground littered with corrugated metal, trees stripped of leaves and buildings reduced to fragments of walls. Appear to be walking.
A spokesman for the military government did not respond to phone calls from Reuters and AFP news agencies.
The government has repeatedly denied allegations that its forces are committing atrocities against civilians, saying it is trying to deal with “terrorists”.
The army is struggling to fight opposition to its rule on multiple fronts across the country, and many areas have now fallen under the control of various rebel groups.
In addition to the AA, government forces are also fighting other groups such as the Karen National Union and the Kachin Independence Army.
Friday’s UN statement urged all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
It called on all parties to “guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access to deliver aid to the most vulnerable”.
Meanwhile, the Blood Money Campaign, a coalition of Myanmar activists working to cut revenue to the military government, urged international governments to immediately impose sanctions on aviation fuel suppliers. give
Malan, a spokesman for the Blood Money campaign, said that only when this support stops will the airstrikes truly end.
Last week, the United Nations said more than 3.5 million people had been displaced by the conflict in Myanmar – 1.5 million more than last year.