Red Cross pushes for aid corridors into war-torn Myanmar

11/9/2024 20:11

        The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is in talks with Myanmar's ruling junta, its armed opponents and its neighbours to provide cross-border humanitarian assistance into the war-torn country, its chief, Mirjana Spoljaric, said on Wednesday.
        
        Myanmar has been mired in conflict since February 2021 when top generals ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering widespread protests that grew into an armed rebellion challenging the powerful military.
        
        Spoljaric said, with wide swathes of the country in turmoil, about a third of Myanmar's 55 million people require humanitarian assistance but the ICRC cannot operate in many areas because of access restrictions and security risks.
        
        During a visit to Myanmar that ended this week, Mirjana said she told junta chief Min Aung Hlaing that the ICRC has the capacity to deliver more assistance.