“Worsening inter-communal conflict in Rakhine state […] is
taking a terrible toll on children – especially those living in the northern
part of the state, where thousands of children have been cut off from
humanitarian assistance in recent weeks,” said UNICEF in a statement late
yesterday.
“These children already suffer from high levels of
deprivation and malnutrition. Their futures depend on help from doctors,
nurses, teachers and others who can provide them with nutrition, health and
education services,” it added.
Noting that though some relief has been delivered in recent
days, UNICEF called for “full resumption” of essential services as well as the
urgent lifting of all restrictions of movement of health and other
professionals so they can safely reach children and families.
In late October, in her briefing to the Third Committee of
the General Assembly – the main GA committee on social, humanitarian affairs
and human rights issues, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar
Yanghee Lee had voiced concern over the situation in Rakhine state, including
the killing of nine police officers (earlier in the month) and the resulting
security operations, which she said led to multiple allegations of serious
human rights violations, including torture and ill-treatment during
interrogations, summary executions, arbitrary arrest and the destruction of
mosques and houses in Muslim villages.
Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by
the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a
specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary
and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.
News Tracker: past stories on this issue
UN expert urges international community to continue to
address human rights challenges in Myanmar