"Myanmar has been in crisis since 1 February 2021, when the military (Tatmadaw) overthrew the democratically elected government. This coup sparked widespread protests and armed resistance, leading to a severe political, economic, and humanitarian crisis. The military regime, known as the State Administration Council (SAC), has responded with brutal force, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and widespread human rights abuses. As of March 2026, approximately 3.7 million people are internally displaced across the country—a dramatic increase from roughly 300,000 pre-2021—with cross-border displacement projected to rise toward 5.2 million in 2026. In attempt to seek international legitimacy, the military held general elections in three phases over December 2025 and January 2026 for the first time since the coup. The overwhelming majority of seats were won by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and saw SAC chairman Min Aung Hlaing elected as president in April 2026. The elections have been widely denounced as neither free nor fair. Despite the transition to a quasi-civilian presidency, armed clashes have continued in multiple parts of the country, including Sagaing, Magway, northern Shan, Kayah, Kayin, Kachin, and Rakhine. The Arakan Army (AA) now controls all but three of Rakhine State's 17 townships, while resistance forces including the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) have consolidated influence across parts of central and southeastern Myanmar. The UN's 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), released 10 December 2025, projects over 16 million people will require humanitarian assistance this year. Recovery from the March 2025 earthquake remains slow, with an estimated 3.5 million tonnes of debris and reconstruction hampered by insecurity, shortages of heavy machinery (43%) and labour (40%), and limited access. Many affected communities, particularly in Magway, Sagaing, and Mandalay, continue to live in temporary shelters, while essential services remain disrupted. Approximately 24,200 houses were damaged (24% completely destroyed), and 132 health facilities were damaged—half in Mandalay. The Rohingya crisis continues to worsen, with the junta's blockade of Rakhine preventing international aid delivery since late 2023, leaving hundreds of thousands of IDPs with severely limited assistance. On 10 December 2025, a military airstrike destroyed Mrauk-U General Hospital, killing at least 33 people and injuring 76-80—one of the deadliest attacks on healthcare in the conflict. Chronic poverty now affects over 80% of the population; the World Bank projects GDP will contract 2.0% in FY2025/26 with inflation remaining above 20%, and market disruptions have deepened food insecurity nationwide. The 2026 HNRP appeals for approximately $890 million but reflects severely constrained funding and narrowed operational space, forcing agencies to prioritize only 2.6 million people with the most severe needs for life-saving support. Key Insights Myanmar's humanitarian crisis continues to deepen amid persistent conflict, economic collapse, and the lingering impacts of the March 2025 earthquake. An estimated 16 million people—nearly one in three citizens—are projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026, as conflict-driven displacement, natural disasters, funding shortages, and humanitarian access constraints exacerbate vulnerabilities nationwide. The 28 March 2025 earthquake remains a defining event in the humanitarian landscape. Official figures from SAC confirm 3,770 deaths and over 5,000 injuries, with the Early Recovery Cluster reporting over 24,200 houses damaged (24% completely destroyed), 4,857 apartments affected, and 132 health facilities damaged. An estimated 3.5 million tonnes of debris blocks roads and markets, with clearance impeded by shortages of heavy machinery (43%) and labour (40%). Nearly three-quarters of the most affected townships continue to face critical shelter and livelihood gaps—64% of communities reported job losses and 30-31% reported damage to crops and workplaces—while disrupted water systems (44% of groundwater sources contaminated) have fueled outbreaks of cholera and dengue. 2. Following the junta-run general elections held over December 2025 and January 2026, as well as ceasefires between the regime and some ethnic armed organizations in northern Shan, the number of armed conflict incidents has gradually decreased. Nonetheless, air and ground offensives continue in the Central Dry Zone, as well as Rakhine, Kayah, and Kayin States. The new government's 100-day roadmap announced on 21 April 2026, which invites resistance groups to enter peace talks and to surrender, have not been widely accepted. Between January and November 2025, the military conducted 2,165 airstrikes, up from 1,716 in all of 2024. On 10 December 2025, a military airstrike destroyed Mrauk-U General Hospital in Rakhine State, killing at least 33 people and injuring 76-80—prompting UN, WHO, and Amnesty International condemnation and calls for investigation as a possible war crime. IDPs have reached approximately 3.7 million people as of March 2025, with projections indicating it could rise further through 2026. The Arakan Army now controls all but three of Rakhine's 17 townships, while resistance forces have captured extensive border areas in the southeast. Attacks on healthcare are widespread: Insecurity Insight recorded 1,815 attacks on health care between February 2021 and November 2025, with WHO verifying 67 attacks in 2025 alone. Access restrictions, including the junta's blockade of Rakhine since late 2023, continue to endanger civilians—particularly Rohingya communities facing persistent protection risks, restricted mobility, and limited access to aid. 3. Humanitarian access remains severely limited by insecurity and deliberate obstruction. The 2026 HNRP appeals for approximately $890 million but reflects severely constrained funding and narrowed operational space, prioritizing only 2.6 million people with the most severe needs at a cost of $521 million. Partners reached some 6.3 million people at the end of 2025, but access constraints—including roadblocks, landmines, telecommunications blackouts, and the Rakhine blockade affecting 600,000 IDPs—force reliance on low-profile, community-led delivery modalities. WFP warns that hunger has reached "unacceptable" levels, with over 400,000 young children and mothers surviving on nutrient-deprived diets of plain rice or watery porridge. 4. The Food Security Cluster estimates about 12 million people face moderate-to-severe food insecurity in 2026, driven by conflict, displacement, rising food and fuel prices, reduced market access and supply-chain disruptions. September 2025 analyses reported "Serious" to "Critical" Global Acute Malnutrition in multiple conflict-affected townships, notably in northern Rakhine, Kachin, Sagaing, southern Shan, and Kayah—with nutrition and treatment services suspended or operating at minimal capacity due to access constraints. Economic conditions continue to deteriorate: the World Bank projects real GDP will contract 2.0% in FY2025/26, with inflation remaining above 20%. Rising poverty and fear of forced conscription have driven male migration, leaving women, girls, and older people as household heads. More than four in ten households identify lack of income as their top challenge, and 83% of internally displaced families can meet half or less of their basic needs. The convergence of conflict, disaster, and economic decline continues to erode coping capacities, pushing Myanmar further toward a protracted humanitarian emergency with no signs of de-escalation. 5. International condemnation has intensified following the 10 December 2025 airstrike on Mrauk-U Hospital. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for an investigation, warning the attack could amount to a war crime. WHO's Director-General condemned the strike as among dozens of verified attacks on healthcare in 2025. Amnesty International and the Burma Human Rights Network have urged the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, impose an arms embargo, and authorize emergency cross-border humanitarian aid. Peace negotiations remain effectively stalled: resistance leaders and the National Unity Government publicly rejected Chinese-brokered terms for northern Shan State. The junta cancelled voting in over 67 townships where it cannot secure control, while nationwide "silent strikes" signalled popular rejection of the military's December 2025 elections. EU and Australia have declared the vote "not credible" amid junta repression. The junta denied responsibility for civilian casualties, accusing "terrorists" of being targeted, while humanitarian organizations stated that the pre-election environment has driven further escalation rather than de-escalation. 6. After taking office on 10 April 2026, president Min Aung Hlaing announced a 100-day program inviting resistance groups — both NCA signatories and non-signatories, including People's Defense Force (PDF) units — to enter peace talks by 31 July 2026. However, the Karen National Union (KNU), All Burma Student's Democratic Front (ABSDF), and the Chin National Front (CNF) quickly rejected the offer, with the KNU stating it has no intention of negotiating under frameworks linked to military rule, underscoring the deep erosion of trust between the junta and resistance forces..."