Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has held with her Burmese counterpart on restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid to internally displaced people in the states of (a) Rakhine, (b) Kachin and (c) Shan.

On 1 April, Ambassadors in Yangon, including the UK Ambassador, issued a public call for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and to protect vulnerable internally displaced people from COVID-19. The UK Ambassador and DFID Country Director have actively engaged with the Myanmar Ministers and officials to raise the issue of conflict, access constraints, protection for aid workers, the internet ban and the potential impact of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable. On 12 May, the UK Ambassador raised the need to ensure that the most vulnerable and hardest to reach in Rakhine were included in the Burmese Government’s “no-one left behind” policy with the Minister for the State Councillor’s Office, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

A specific area of concern is the safety of humanitarian workers. In particular, the UK was extremely concerned by the death of a WHO driver who was shot on 20 April while transporting COVID-19 samples. On 23 April, I sent my condolences to the family of the WHO staff member and raised the need for a ceasefire in Rakhine as well as for aid workers to have access and protection. DFID will continue to work with the UN, International Committee of the Red Cross, INGO’s and civil society partners to ensure humanitarian support is provided to those who are vulnerable and most at risk, including Internally Displaces Peoples across Myanmar.