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

Archives of Public Health

Research

Tual Sawn Khai¹ 

[1] School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (SAR), People’s Republic of China;Refugee Law Initiative (RLI), School of Advanced Study, University of London, London, UK;

关键词: COVID-19;    Myanmar;    Military coup;    Internally displaced persons (IDPs);    Armed conflict;    Humanitarian Crisis;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13690-023-01204-1

 received in 2023-05-07, accepted in 2023-10-15,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023