“The crisis in Myanmar is almost invisible,“she said.”There really is a feeling in the country that it has been forgotten.”
His comments come as the United Nations and humanitarian partners warn that Myanmar’s needs will continue to increase in 2026, and that limited resources will force painful decisions about who can be helped.
A crisis that has been brewing for years
Since the military takeover in 2021, Myanmar has been hit by an expanding armed conflict, repeated natural disasters and economic collapse. Fighting and disasters have already displaced some 3.6 million people, and the number is expected to rise to around four million next year.
Earlier this month, the UN published its Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2026, estimating that more than 16 million people – including five million children – will need life-saving assistance and protection in 2026.
Ms Lewis said many families have been forced from their homes not only by the fighting, but also by a powerful earthquake earlier this year and severe monsoon flooding, which left people in overcrowded and unsafe shelters with limited access to food, clean water and medical care.
“The scale, severity and complexity of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar is very, very high,” she said.
Children walk through a flooded IDP settlement near the city of Mandalay, north-central Myanmar, after a heavy monsoon downpour (April 2025).
Hunger and difficult decisions
Food insecurity is one of the most pressing concerns. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has warned that more than 12 million people in Myanmar will face acute hunger in 2026, with around one million expected to reach emergency levels requiring immediate assistance.
More than 400,000 young children and mothers already suffer from acute malnutrition and survive on nutrient-poor diets.
“Conflict and deprivation are converging to strip people of their basic means of survival, but the world is not paying attention.”said Michael Dunford, WFP country director.
Financing gap
The shortage of financing is worsening the crisis. In 2025, only about a quarter of the funds needed under the humanitarian plan were received, leaving millions of people without help. As a result, humanitarian partners plan to target 4.9 million of the most vulnerable people in 2026, up from 6.7 million planned this year.
“We couldn’t deliver food to everyone we wanted to,” Ms Lewis said. “Families were forced to make impossible decisions.”
Access blocked due to conflict
Beyond funding, access remains a major challenge.
Ms Lewis warned that Myanmar’s fragmented conflict, involving the military and numerous ethnic armed groups, often prevents aid workers from reaching communities in need.
Active fighting, checkpoints, road closures and administrative delays periodically slow or block humanitarian deliveries, especially in remote and frontline areas. Political tensions and upcoming elections could further restrict access.
Families affected by the earthquake receive food aid at a WFP distribution site in the Sagaing region.
A call not to look the other way
Despite reduced resources and increased insecurity, humanitarian partners reached around five million people during the first nine months of 2025, although often with limited depth and frequency of assistance.
Ms Lewis stressed that much more is needed to prevent further suffering.
“Behind every number is a person trying to survive a crisis they did not choose.“she said.”We simply cannot allow this to happen again next year.”
Calling on donors and governments to refocus attention on Myanmar, he urged the international community not to look away.
“The suffering runs deep… and the people of Myanmar deserve to be heard and seen.“