"In May, UNICEF Myanmar issued a press statement calling for the urgent protection of children in Rakhine State as schools re-open and expressing concern about reports of killing of children as a result of direct targeting and indirect actions, detention and mistreatment of children, and the use of schools for military purposes, since the conflict between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) intensified in 2019. • UNICEF continues to support distribution of supplies to “newly” displaced populations in central and northern Rakhine State as a result of Tatmadaw/AA fighting, while continuing to advocate for, and request, consistent unfettered access to provide more comprehensive services to those in need. • Ninety-five percent of IDP students, including 449 girls, participating in UNICEF-supported formal and non-formal primary education activities, passed the Government primary school matriculation examinations this year. Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs In Kachin, residents continue to benefit from the Governmentdeclared ceasefire which has been extended until 30 June 2019. However, displaced families remain concerned about returning to their areas of origin either due to insecurity, explosive ordinance and remnants of war, or lack of services given the protracted displacement. The total number of displaced in Kachin State has remained constant since November 2018— 97,265 people in 140 camps or camp-like settings. There have been some intermittent or ad-hoc returns; however, contamination of explosive ordinance remains a significant concern. In May, three incidents related to explosive ordinance were reported including the death of a 17-year-old boy. In northern Shan State, fighting between ethnic armed organizations continued with additional displacement. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that since January 2018, nearly 47,000 people have been displaced due to fighting in Kachin and northern Shan states resulting in a total displacement of over 106,000 people—over 35 percent of whom reside in nongovernment-controlled areas. OCHA reports that in government-controlled areas, access is also increasingly difficult and there are nearly 20,000 people who cannot be accessed due to lack of travel authorization and inconsistent access is impacting service delivery to over 55 percent of those in need. In northern Shan State in particular, many families have suffered multiple displacements. For children, the constant displacements create additional vulnerabilities such as disrupted education, potential separation from families, or increased exposure to landmines. UNICEF and other international actors continue to be denied access to non-government-controlled areas of Kachin and northern Shan States resulting in an increasing burden on host communities and national NGOs who are responding to the increasing needs. In more remote or rural areas where access is difficult or inconsistent, communities may not be receiving required assistance from the humanitarian community; consequently, updated information on needs is not available. In Rakhine State, UNICEF and partners retain access to the 2012-established IDP camps principally housing Rohingya IDPs. Access to “newly” displaced people—as a result of conflict between the Arakan Army and Tatmadaw—varies depending on the location; in some areas access is consistently denied. Agencies continue to work with the government and local groups to provide assistance whenever possible given these access challenges; to date this has largely been a commodity-based opportunity-led response rather than comprehensive and sustained service delivery. UNICEF, working with UNFPA, and UNHCR, has received access in both central and northern Rakhine State to conduct “needs verification” trips and in some cases, follow up visits to provide relief items. However, access to some UN and NGO development activities have been impacted by the fighting and additional access restrictions; OCHA reported in May that approximately 50,000 direct or indirect beneficiaries have been affected by access restrictions in Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships alone. For access to be granted, agencies must navigate numerous bureaucratic obstacles which prevents any itinerary deviations due to changing circumstances on the ground; as a result, identification of needs and response activities remains a challenge. On 28 May, UNICEF Myanmar released a statement expressing concern on the reports of killing, detainment, and mistreatment of children as well as the use of schools for military purposes. The statement further urges all parties to ensure the safety of children and protect them from violence. Amnesty International released a report titled “No One Can Protect Us’ on 29 May 2019 which further highlights reported violations of international humanitarian law and a number of human rights abuses as a result of the conflict by the Arakan Army and Tatmadaw since the start of 2019. Amnesty International reported targeting of civilians, damage to homes and property, obstruction of humanitarian service provision or movement of injured to medical facilities, and other violations..."