Vulnerability to health and well-being of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Myanmar post-military coup and COVID-19

Khai TUAL SAWN*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal PublicationsJournal Article (refereed)peer-review

Abstract

Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated particular challenges for internally displaced people (IDPs). Over 1.9 million people in Myanmar have been displaced due to the escalation of armed conflict after the military coup in 2021. The vulnerability faced by IDPs in Myanmar, coupled with the impact of the recent military coup and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has received little global attention. This study examined how military coup exacerbated the health and well-being of IDPs in Myanmar post the military coup. The study employed purposive sampling and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) referrals to find participants. Qualitative in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with a total of 17 IDPs. A thematic analysis of the findings indicates that IDPs experience anxiety and fear daily, adversely affecting their mental health due to the increased escalation of armed conflict and attacks on civilian places, including IDPs shelters. Some IDPs contract COVID-19 and suffer from malaria and dengue fever owing to their precarious living conditions. Moreover, the military’s restrictions on humanitarian aid distribution, including healthcare, medicine, and food, have severely impacted the health and well-being of IDPs in Myanmar, exacerbating food shortages and limiting healthcare access.
Original languageEnglish
Article number185
Number of pages9
JournalArchives of Public Health
Volume81
Issue number1
Early online date21 Oct 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.

Funding

The authors sincerely thank all the internally displaced participants and individuals who assisted in identifying potential participants for this study.

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Myanmar
  • Military coup
  • Internally displaced persons (IDPs)
  • Armed conflict
  • Humanitarian Crisis

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