Myanmar: Poverty deepens as families face multiple shocks with limited resources

Years of conflict, displacement, economic disruption and climate shocks in Myanmar have led to the “simultaneous collapse” of shelter, healthcare, schooling and livelihoods affecting millions of people, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said in a report issued on Thursday.The report reveals that more than two in three people now endure “multidimensional poverty” or are at risk of falling into it, with over 37 million people – 68 per cent of the population – experiencing overlapping crises. ‘Everyone is losing’“Myanmar may no longer dominate international headlines, but the hardships facing millions of people continue to deepen,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. The UN continues to highlight multiple problems facing the people of Myanmar, which has been engulfed in civil war since the military seized power in February 2021. The country also faces macroeconomic instability, recurrent disasters and the additional impact of the devastating March 2025 earthquake. “We are seeing a depth of poverty in Myanmar that is eroding human development itself. This is a no-win war. Everyone is losing. The core muscle of the country is being systematically ero...