EU ranks Myanmar among top 9 global crises as UN warns of aid shortages

Mizzima

The European Union (EU) has designated Myanmar as one of nine global crises where the bloc is leading humanitarian efforts, as newly released U.N. data warns that a severe drop in international funding is worsening the country’s crisis.

The EU included Myanmar on its latest list of critical emergencies alongside Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to a U.N. Human Rights Office report published Monday, cuts and suspensions in foreign assistance have forced major closures, layoffs and reductions across Myanmar’s civil society organizations. The report noted that ethnic media and women’s groups have been disproportionately affected, while localized programs providing aid, education and psychosocial support to displaced people face deep cuts.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the population has “seemingly been forgotten by those outside the country,” adding that local funding was often the only protection against indiscriminate military attacks.

The U.N. agency verified at least 702 civilian deaths in Myanmar during a six-month period from August 2025 through January 2026, primarily in the country’s central regions and Rakhine state. Airstrikes accounted for 476 of those fatalities.

The EU’s latest designation came ahead of World Refugee Day, with the bloc identifying itself as the world’s leading humanitarian donor. The EU noted that more than 117 million people are currently displaced globally, including more than 4.8 million people fleeing the war in Ukraine who received temporary European protection.

While the EU’s recent policy statements – a including a May 27 “Joint Communication on Humanitarian Action” aimed at global funding shortages – did not specify new financial targets for Myanmar, the European Commission disclosed country-specific allocations earlier this year.

On Jan. 30, the Commission allocated 63 million euros (about $68.3 million) to address the Myanmar crisis and its regional impact. The funding included 38.6 million euros for emergency food, nutrition and shelter inside Myanmar, and 23.4 million euros to support Rohingya refugees in neighbouring Bangladesh.