Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the people of Myanmar in respect of the political and humanitarian situation in that country.

The UK is clear in its condemnation of the coup and the appalling violence by the military, which has left over 1000 people dead. We are deeply concerned at the worsening political, Covid and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. The military continues to imprison opposition figures, journalists and foreign nationals and they have maintained their brutal crackdown on dissent. The UK is calling for a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the crisis. We continue to call publicly for a return to democracy and the release of all those in arbitrary detention. We have used our role on the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council and our G7 Presidency to secure strong statements on the coup. We have also imposed seven tranches of sanctions on the regime and are working to prevent the flow of arms to Myanmar.

The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is extremely serious. Displacement and humanitarian needs are increasing, with insecurity and the military junta blocking humanitarian access across the country. We are working through small scale local civil society organisations which are able to mobilise community support and reach places the UN and international humanitarian community cannot access. Through our humanitarian mechanism we provide the most vulnerable populations in Myanmar with access to essential services: water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, food, healthcare and shelter materials.