Myanmar women trapped by war and disaster

WFP

Myanmar’s women are bearing the brunt of overlapping crises, caught between military violence, the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, and restrictions on aid that block even basic supplies.

On 20 March, a monastery in Katha, Sagaing region, sheltering around 100 people was bombed by the military, killing monks and civilians. Rights groups say the strike is part of a wider pattern of attacks on religious sites, with monasteries and schools targeted in Sagaing, Kani and Karen State. Activists argue the military is deliberately hitting places of refuge to instil fear and weaken resistance.

Sagaing was also the epicentre of last year’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which killed thousands and destroyed homes and temples. Rebuilding has been slow, hampered by continued raids and bombardments. UNESCO estimates more than 8,000 religious monuments were damaged, including the Kuthodaw Pagoda in Mandalay.

Aid groups say the junta is blocking supplies into quake-hit areas, including menstrual products. “It’s a direct attack on women’s bodies,” said Thinzar Shunlei Yi, founder of Sisters 2 Sisters, whose volunteers have been stopped from distributing sanitary pads and medical aid. The military claims such items could be used by resistance fighters to treat wounds.

International organisations, including the Red Cross and World Food Programme, warn that restrictions, fuel shortages and rising costs are pushing millions closer to hunger. The WFP estimates 12.4 million people — one in four — are struggling to find enough food. Queues for petrol stretch for hours, with private cars allowed to run only on alternate days.

Despite the hardships, communities are improvising. Monasteries have become emergency shelters, while displaced families set up food stalls to survive. Yet rising prices and falling donations mean many are trapped in debt. “It’s a daily cycle of borrowing and scraping by,” said Ma Myint Myint, a vendor who lost her home in the quake.

For women in particular, the crisis is acute. Blocked aid, destroyed livelihoods and the constant threat of violence leave them with few options. As one displaced mother put it: “I just want to go home. But for now, I hope food assistance doesn’t stop.”

The combination of war, disaster and aid restrictions has created a humanitarian emergency with no clear end in sight — and women remain at its most vulnerable centre.

-2026-04-09