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UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

4 April 2025

Humanitarian situation in Myanmar

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that the announcement of a pause in hostilities by both the Myanmar military and the National Unity Government had to be followed by immediate and unrestricted access by rescue and humanitarian workers to all those in need. OHCHR urged a halt to all military operations, and for the focus to be on assisting those impacted by the quake, as well as ensuring unhindered access to humanitarian organizations that are ready to support.

While humanitarian efforts had progressed in certain areas where access had been granted, the longstanding limitations imposed by the military on humanitarian operations and access across the country meant that numerous badly impacted areas, including large towns in Sagaing region and areas of Bago and Shan State, remained inaccessible to humanitarian emergency assistance. Despite certain capacities of the military, expert personnel, equipment and services needed to save lives in urgent peril were lacking. Sources from the ground described a catastrophic humanitarian situation in earthquake-hit areas, especially those outside the military’s control, an absence of relief efforts, and a lack of clean water, food, and medicines. The scale of the disaster was exacerbated by an information blackout, due to Internet and telecommunication shutdowns imposed by the military, making it extremely difficult to contact affected communities and assess the situation. The people of Myanmar had suffered enough. The response to this horrendous disaster had to open pathways towards a comprehensive solution that upholds democracy and human rights, concluded Ms. Shamdasani.

Full statement is available here.

Babar Baloch, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that the full extent of devastations was not yet clear. UNHCR was appealing for USD 16 million to assist 1.2 million people who had survived the earthquake. UNHCR would use the funds to help people in the six affected regions until the end of the year. In the week since the earthquake, UNHCR had deployed existing in-country stocks, including plastic sheets and kitchen sets, for some 25,000 survivors in Mandalay, Sagaing and Bago regions, as well as the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, and parts of Shan State. As part of the inter-agency response to the earthquake, UNHCR was co-leading the response on shelter, emergency relief items, camp coordination and protection.

Before the earthquake, reminded Mr. Baloch, some 3.5 million people had already been displaced. Through the funding, UNHCR would also strengthen protection services, including legal assistance, psychosocial support and interventions for children, women and people with disabilities. Efforts would continue to advocate for and facilitate safe humanitarian access to affected areas through local partnerships. Mr. Baloch stated that many people were outside their damaged homes, were left homeless, or were afraid to go home because of the fear of aftershocks. The death toll and the number of injuries were rising fast, and it would take some time to establish the final figures.

UNHCR statement can be accessed here.

Christian Cardon, for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said that the ICRC had long presence in the country, and more staff were on the way. It had been working closely with the Myanmar Red Cross and was now scaling up its response.

Arnaud de Baecque, Head of the ICRC Delegation in Myanmar, connecting from Yangon, said that 19 million people had been in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake, and the situation was now further exacerbated. Some 600 ICRC staff had already been in the country and could be deployed rapidly. The search and rescue were over, and the long recovery period had now started. ICRC and local Red Cross staff were doing everything possible to support the most vulnerable; that included water treatment that could help prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases at very high temperatures. In order to reach beneficiaries in different parts of the country, ICRC had been working with over 100 local partners and 30 health centres. There were teams assessing the damaged health structure, especially in Mandalay and central areas, where damage was significant. Some 5,000 families had been helped with food and tarpaulins, until better shelter could be provided. Mr. de Baecque raised the issue of weapons contamination, so awareness sessions were being conducted to reach all affected populations. The temporary cessation of hostilities was welcome and would hopefully be extended so that families in need could receive the help they needed.

Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), referred to the previous day’s statement by the UN Secretary-General, who had announced that he was sending UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, to Myanmar, as well as his Special Envoy, Julie Bishop, to reinforce our commitment to peace and dialogue. He appealed to the international community to immediately step up vitally needed funding to match the scale of this crisis. He also appealed for rapid, safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to reach those most in need across the country.

Replying to questions from the media, James Rodehaver, Head of Myanmar team for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), speaking from Bangkok, said that forcible recruitment and conscription had been going on for over a year now; it appeared that even now, according to reports from four cities, in some instances individuals were being taken away for military service or forced labour. Ms. Shamdasani, also for OHCHR, confirmed that airstrikes had continued even after the declaration of the ceasefire. They had to stop, because the focus needed to be on humanitarian aid delivery. Mr. Rodehaver added that humanitarians in the country dealt with various limitations, which restricted their access and free, safe movement. There had been at least 16 verified reports of airstrikes since the ceasefire announcement on 2 April, and more than 60 airstrikes overall since the earthquake. It was difficult to receive up-to-date, reliable information, often because of the internet and telecommunications connections which had been cut. Mr. Rodehaver also spoke of attacks conducted by army flying with motor-powered paragliders to fly over civilian areas and dropping hand-held bombs, causing death, fear, and displacement.

Mr. de Baecque, for the ICRC, stressed that landmines were a major problem in the country, and it was an issue the ICRC was engaged on, working with the communities on risk awareness, safe behaviour, and identifying alternative sources of livelihood. ICRC was working with the national authorities to establish standards on mine action.

On a question related to anti-personnel landmines in general, Ms. Shamdasani stressed their indiscriminate nature, which was why the OHCHR opposed their use. Mr. Gómez informed that the Human Rights Council had just unanimously passed a resolution on anti-personnel landmines highlighting the severe human rights and psychological impacts of anti-personnel landmines. Mr. Cardon, for the ICRC, added that the fact that five States were considering withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention was extremely concerning. In 1999, he reminded, some 167 States had joined the Convention, to which 50 non-state armed groups had also committed. Over 80 percent of landmine victims were civilians, he informed, and about half of those were children. Long after a conflict ended, anti-personnel landmines continued to affect civilians and impeded economic activities. ICRC was very concerned with the current trend and strongly called on States parties to reaffirm their commitment to the Convention.

On another question, Mr. Baloch, for UNHCR, reiterated that the full scale of devastation remained unclear. Some 19 million people were believed to have been affected by the earthquake, he said. Many of those people had been previously displaced and were now displaced once again. Mr. de Baecque, for the ICRC, said that some 136 townships had been affected by the earthquake, a quarter of which were in the areas not currently controlled by the government.

Displaced population in Khartoum, Sudan

Mohamed Refaat, Sudan Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), speaking from Khartoum, said that today he had concluded a four-day visit to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, which had tragically become one of the epicenters of a war that had torn this country apart for nearly two years. During his visit, he had been able to access some of the areas that had only recently become accessible since the outbreak of this conflict. He shared the story of Sara, previously a teacher, who had remained in her neighborhood in Bahri, Khartoum, throughout the war. Her days had been filled with horror, witnessing the loss of loved ones and enduring the constant threat of violence. Sara had stayed not by choice but by necessity; she had no means to leave, no support to get her out of harm's way, and no one to help. She had been left to suffer without assistance, unable to escape. Sara's primary concern was for her future. Her resilience was truly inspiring: she longed for the reopening of schools and was willing to teach for free to ensure that education continues for the children in her community.

More humanitarian funding was urgently needed for medicine, shelter, drinking water, education, and healthcare. Equally important was the need for unrestricted humanitarian access to those still impacted by the conflict, those who were unable to get themselves out of harm's way. Some returns were underway, but many returnees would be coming back to destroyed houses, looted businesses and no basic services. Beyond immediate relief, focus had to be on rebuilding: restoring Khartoum and other areas would take time, but it was possible to provide people with dignified shelter and livelihoods once the necessary resources were available. The IOM Sudan Response Plan sought USD 250 million to assist 1.7 million people in need, but only 9 percent of the required funds had been covered as of January 2025. With the current funding situation IOM Sudan’s current capacity could not be maintained at even our current level of response, much less scale-up to meet the needs in the new areas. Sudan ought not be forgotten. Its people needed peace, now.

Responding to questions from the media, Mr. Refaat said that for people to return to Khartoum, they needed information to help them understand the situation on the ground and make decisions based on that. Huge investment would be needed to restore multiple services, including health, water, and electricity, in the areas to which people were returning.

Global cholera situation

Philippe Barboza, cholera team lead at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that this year already, 100,000 cholera cases and 1,300 deaths had been reported. Preliminary data showed that 810,000 and 5,900 deaths had been reported in the year 2024, a large increase from 2023. These numbers were an underestimate, as official reporting remained incomplete. This disease should not exist in the 21^st century, but it was now regrettably spreading to countries where it had not existed before, including Namibia and Kenya. The case fatality ratio in some countries went above one percent. In Angola, for example, from where Dr. Barboza had just returned, the fatality rate was over four percent. Rapid spread to other parts of Angola and neighbouring countries remained very concerning. Angola’s caseload represented 36 percent of the global cases in 2025. WHO and partners had dispatched rapid deployment teams and were establishing facilities and training staff.

Since July 2024, 12,000 acute cholera cases had been reported in Myanmar, said Dr. Barboza. Globally, conflict along with climate change had exacerbated the situation. Haiti, on the other hand, had no funds left to deal with its own cholera outbreak. At the end of March, WHO had 5.6 million treatment doses for emergency responses. Demand remained very high so further expansion of vaccine production was necessary. Together, with joint action and further investment, further outbreaks could be prevented. Dr. Barboza stressed once again that cholera should not be killing anyone in the 21^st century.

Answering questions, Dr. Barboza said that some countries accurately reported cholera cases but not deaths, or the other way round. Some countries reported only deaths in health facilities, which was why the reported number of deaths in 2025 – 1,300 – was likely an underestimate. Large countries, including India and Bangladesh, generally underreported cases, which was why the figure of 100,000 reported cases in 2025 did not represent the definite and complete numbers. Most countries faced by cholera had funding challenges, including Haiti and South Sudan. Not only were the outbreaks getting deadlier, but the funding was also shrinking. Under the international health regulations, countries were required to report outbreaks, but not all of them were doing it. So far, in the Americas, only Haiti was reporting cholera cases, said Dr. Barboza in response to another question.

Potential impact of the latest round of US tariffs on global trade

Julia Spies, Chief of Trade and Market Intelligence at the International Trade Centre (ITC), said that the baselines the Office of the US Trade Representative showed on their dashboard on 2 April had been up to 95 percentage points above the countries’ effectively applied tariffs to imports from the US. For many countries, new US tariffs were far above the average rates that these countries charged on imports from the US, other trade barriers left aside. Some of the countries that would face the highest, so-called “reciprocal tariffs” when exporting their goods to the US market were least developed countries, including Lesotho, Cambodia, Laos, Madagascar, and Myanmar, all now facing tariffs of 45 percent or above.

Certain countries and sectors that were competitive at global scale, could look at new markets to become more resilient to supply chain risks. For instance, Madagascar, famous for its vanilla (where it accounted for half of the world’s supply), could grow exports to smaller markets such as Canada or diversify into new ones, including Indonesia. Switzerland, which was going to face a 32 percent tariff, would see its export of watches affected, exports of watches as the US was its top export market for watches. Swiss watchmakers could further leverage the free trade agreement with China and cater the growing demand for watches in this market. For Japan, on the other hand, the automotive sector comprised 20 percent of the country’s total exports, with the majority of those headed to the US market. Japan could lose USD 17 billion in export potential to the US, ITC calculations showed. In light of the new tariffs countries like Japan could try to diversify their export destinations for vehicles. Ms. Spies explained that the ITC had used its online tools – Trade Map, Export Potential Map, Market Access Map as well as the Trade Briefs website, which were freely available.

Susanna Pak, also for the ITC, announced two webinars on how to leverage ITC market analysis tools to prepare for impact of US latest round of tariff hikes, which would take place on 7 April at 3 pm and on 8 April at 9 am.

Ms. Spies, responding to questions, said that the calculations used by the US Administration to determine the tariffs supposedly already in place on US products were not following standard economics practices. It appeared that the protection levels showed by the US Administration on 2 April matched roughly the US trade deficit divided by imports from a certain country, then further divided by two. Ms. Spies had personally never seen a country calculate tariffs this way. Doing it based on the formula looking at trade deficits and the ratio between trade deficits and imports was highly unusual. Replying to more questions, Ms. Spies specified that China’s average effectively applied tariff on imports from US stood at 5.5 percent, while European Union’s average tariff on US goods was 3.5 percent. The newly imposed US tariffs would likely affect US consumers, in addition to businesses which exported products to the US. The US Administration, when deciding on its new tariffs, had not only looked at other countries’ tariffs, but also at other trade and regulatory barriers.

Mr. Gómez for UNIS informed that UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would be providing an analysis on the US tariffs announced and their impact on developing countries.

International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

Christelle Loupforest, Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) Geneva Office, said that today was the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. Twenty years earlier, on 8 December 2005, the General Assembly had declared 4 April the Mine Action Day. That resolution called for continued efforts by States, with the assistance of the United Nations and relevant organizations, to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities in countries where mines and explosive remnants of war constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the civilian population, or an impediment to social and economic development. Just today, the Human Rights Council had adopted today a resolution on the impact of anti-personnel mines on the full enjoyment of all human rights.

The mine action sector main annual event, the 28^th International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers #NDMUN28, would start in Geneva the following week in Geneva under the theme Safe Futures Start Here. The meeting would bring together national directors, UN experts and private sector organizations engaged in mine action programmes in over 60 countries. One of the many side events would be on integrating mine action in Sudan’s recovery efforts. Turning to Syria, Ms. Loupforest said that since early December 2024 and by the end of March 2025, 317 people had been killed, of whom 71 children, and 447 had been injured, of whom 189 children, in staggering 364 accidents involving explosive ordnance. A large portion of those casualties had been caused by accidents involving anti-personnel or anti-tank mines. More information on the situation in Syria was available here.

On 7 April at 2 pm, UNMAS was scheduled to hold a press conference on the occasion of the NDM-UN28. Speakers would be Ilene Cohn, Director UNMAS, and Ambassador Tobias Privitell, Director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).

The United States had been the main donor to the mine action center for many years, said Ms. Loupforest in a response to a question. UNMAS was in discussion with the US and other donors on a possible continuation of four country programmes where the US had been the main supporter. Many partner organizations had already had to let go of a number of deminers and educators, which was a major worry as it took a while to build up this specialized capacity. UNMAS expressed deep concern over the announcements by Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland that they would leave the Ottawa Convention. UNMAS was advocating for the universalization of the Convention and leaving the Convention would be represent a regression. A large proportion of victims of anti-personnel landmines were civilians. Ms. Loupforest referred to Landmine Monitor as an excellent source of the most updated information on landmine production and support to victim assistance. Victim assistance was a complex, multisectoral and costly undertaking, she said.

Announcements

Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the Committee on Enforced Disappearances would conclude at 5 pm today its 28^th session and issue its concluding observations on the six countries reviewed: Serbia, Gambia, Central African Republic, Peru, Belgium, and Malta.

The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families would open on 7 April at 10 am its 40^th session, during which it would review the reports of Mexico, Niger, and Jamaica. The Committee would also have a public meeting on 15 April afternoon to launch its General Comment number 6.

The Committee Against Torture would open on 7 April at 10 am its 82^nd session, during which it was going to review the reports of Monaco, Mauritius, Armenia, France, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.

Today was the last day of the 58^th session of the Human Rights Council.

On 7 April, the 1994 Rwanda genocide would be commemorated, and on this occasion the Secretary-General’s message had been shared.

Finally, today, at the Palais des Nations, the International Day of Conscience was being marked with an event, which would, among others, feature the Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege.

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UN Geneva Press Briefing - 04 April 2025

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