Consider This: Myanmar Crisis (Part 2) — What Now, What Next? - Video Dailymotion

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Conflict, displacement, and a collapsing health system have left millions in Myanmar in urgent need of help—with the March earthquake only deepening vulnerabilities. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Arnaud de Baecque, Head of Delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Myanmar.

Transcript

00:00Hi, welcome back to Consider This, I'm Melissa Idris.

00:23Conflict, displacement and a collapsing health system have left millions in Myanmar in urgent

00:28need of help, with the March earthquake only compounding and deepening vulnerabilities.

00:35So joining me on the show now to discuss the situation on the ground is Arno Dabak, who

00:40is the head of the delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Myanmar. Arno,

00:45thank you so much for being on the show with me. I appreciate you taking time on the sidelines

00:48of this conference to talk. Could you begin by providing a brief overview of the current

00:56humanitarian situation in Myanmar, particularly three months in since the March earthquake.

01:02Where are you seeing the needs most urgent? Thanks a lot for having me today and I think

01:09your introduction already stressed the fact that the earthquake was not the onset of the humanitarian

01:17crisis. It was just like compounding to the economic challenges, to the hardship and to

01:23the conflict affected areas. And most of the territory is now affected by the consequences

01:30of these situations and the humanitarian needs are strong in Sagan, in Rakhine, in Shan, in Kachin

01:37and in many other areas I must say. Okay, so not the whole country has been affected by the earthquake,

01:44but the whole country is facing conflict and prolonged displacement in areas. Could you talk to me

01:51about your organization's experience? What are the primary challenges that the ICRC faces when

01:59delivering aid to the affected areas where the needs are urgent? Well, the main challenge is that the

02:06country is very fragmented on political level and this reflects on our capacity to access to population

02:13in need of humanitarian needs because we need to talk to many actors, many players,

02:17countries. But, you know, that's what the ICRC is about. We know how to do it. But it's true that the

02:24more conflict there is, the more complex the situation is, the more challenges we have on that side.

02:29What are you seeing in terms of needs? Could you maybe elaborate a little bit about what resources are most

02:38lacking in terms of sanitation and shelter? Is that being provided by the military junta? Most areas

02:46are affecting areas covered by the SEC, yes? Yeah, I think right after the earthquake, you had a

02:54strong support for neighboring countries, from ASEAN in particular, to provide emergency response,

02:59but that lasted for a few weeks and was very useful. Now we're more into the long-term recovery, but

03:06people are still facing housing difficulties and sleeping outside or on shelters. Access to health

03:13is a big issue throughout the country. Clean water is another one and then economic recovery for people

03:20to regain their livelihoods. You mean that currently the buildings that have been reduced to rubble,

03:27has that been cleared? Are people still sleeping on the streets? We saw pictures in the early days of

03:34the earthquake. Is that still largely the situation currently? I think it has changed. On the early

03:40days, and I realized myself, not being familiar to earthquakes, that most of the people were sleeping

03:46outside because they were just afraid of the aftershocks and not knowing how strong their houses were.

03:52Some of them had their houses destroyed or damaged, and these are still waiting,

03:57are still living in dire conditions. No one is sleeping on the street. They have shelters,

04:03but now the monsoon season is coming and worsening the situation because a temporary shelter

04:08needs to be strong enough to face the heavy rains. You mentioned that the initial humanitarian

04:15assistance that was provided was good. That was very needed and helped maybe mitigate some of the

04:24vulnerabilities. But has it been sustained? Is that accurate to say? Well, usually what we saw was more

04:31emergency support for search and rescue and immediate medical assistance, medical help,

04:38and then for the long-term response, it's not that broad support from outside, but rather the

04:46organizations that are inside, like ours, working with the local communities, local responders,

04:51like the Myanmar Red Cross societies and many others, that have to keep, you know, being alongside the

04:58communities until they fully recover. Could you maybe share what you hope other neighboring countries,

05:05ASEAN in particular, what role you're hoping that neighboring states play more effectively in providing

05:12some of this long-term humanitarian assistance? Well, I think many aspects are linked to the situation

05:19in the country. And this, we're not involved into politics. Yes, so it's not a political organization. Exactly,

05:26exactly. But we see there is a lot of political discussions, and we know that peace brings solutions

05:35for the people. So we're both, like, willing an answer to be to the humanitarian needs that we see now,

05:43that are growing, but also hoping for a moment where, with respect with international humanitarian law,

05:49needs will not be as big. And with access and solutions for the future, the situation of Myanmar will improve.

05:56So the only solution to the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar is a political, diplomatic one?

06:04Well, I think, yes, that's the way it is. In a nutshell. In a nutshell, that's the way it is.

06:09So what then would you say, how then would you say Myanmar is faring in terms of the fact that this

06:15has become a protracted crisis? We are four years into, since the military coup, and now, as I say,

06:23compounded with the earthquake, what would you, how would you say, or assess Myanmar faring in terms of

06:33attention and priority to Myanmar, when compared to the many, many other international crises that

06:41we have happening concurrently around the world? Yeah, but that's clearly a complexity, a lot of

06:47tension. Attention are going to the to the situation that are more in the news. But the situation of

06:54Myanmar is very dire. And yes, we talked about the political solution, but while they're sought, the

07:01humanitarian needs are still there. And so there is both the emergency to respond to the people's need

07:07today and the long lasting solution. Someone who does work, humanitarian work in Myanmar, do you think that

07:13the situation Myanmar is getting the international attention it so needs and deserves?

07:23Well, probably more political pressure on access for humanitarian support, on long lasting solution

07:29could do no harm. But a lot is happening in the country. Okay. So Arno, what would you then say to

07:36the international community, who may have put Myanmar on the back burner? What would you like them to know

07:44about the urgency of the crisis? Well, maybe that we talk about 20 million of people in need of

07:52humanitarian support in the country. And we need to support, to deliver, to get access, and to reach these

07:58people in need to make sure that their livelihood is preserved. Right. Well, what kind of support did you say

08:05you needed? I think it's a support for the humanitarian response, support for access to all people

08:12concerned. Some states also finance us. So that's an important part of what we we need to operate as

08:19well. Arno, thank you so much for talking to me. I appreciate your time. Well, my pleasure. Thanks a lot.

08:24That wraps up this episode of Consider This. I'm Melissa Idris signing off for the evening. Thank you so much for

08:29watching. Good night.

Consider This: Myanmar Crisis (Part 2) — What Now, What Next?

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