4/4 - It's nearly impossible to fathom the scale of this tragedy; shattered lives, limbs, vast swaths of land unusable for agriculture or livestock rearing, refugees & IDPs unable to return home safely. DM for the reports or if you need any further data. End.

3/4 - Virtually every area of Myanmar is now contaminated with these explosive weapons; even areas which had never faced such a threat; parts of West Bago, Ayeyarwady, etc. Only the most remote, least populated areas are reportedly unaffected; many may be, we just lack data.

2/4 - From 2021 - 2024, 3,579 civilians were killed or injured, a mind boggling figure. Every single case means a shattered family, life long physical & mental trauma for those who survive, or for the families of those who do not.

5/5 - Overall, a brutal reminder of the scale of this issue; every casualty is a shattered family, a lost loved one; for survivors, a grim future of physical & psychological anguish, with limited resources to support them. End. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

4/5 - Similarly, in Northern Shan, complex dynamics related to the MNDAA's withdrawal from Lashio, the SACs push northeast through Nawngkhio, Kyaukme & Hsipaw, and movement of IDPs, mean high levels of casualties across the region.

3/5 - Notable is increase in casualties in Toungup & Gwa townships in southern Rakhine; areas which had no previous contamination, so little risk education or victim assistance infrastructure here. Trend likely to continue as AA pushes south & east; SAC will lay more mines here.

2/5 - Shan, Rakhine & the Dry Zone remain the areas with the highest casualty figures, related to conflict dynamics & displacements in these areas; generally, IDPs fleeing into new contaminated areas = higher casualty rates, although local dynamics vary.

2/2 - Local humanitarians are already carrying out response work; the coming days will be grim as news begins to emerge from Sagaing, Mandalay, Toungoo and other areas badly impacted. More than ever, local humanitarians will need all the support they can get.

MM Now has issued a correction in their article saying the Chinese FM did not mention Lashio specifically, as they originally reported, but they say other sources still claim this. Regardless June is a long way off!

'Humanitarian clearance' refers to a specific methodology which makes all reasonable efforts to ensure an area is totally clear. This sadly isn't happening yet in MM due to lack of funding & resources, but we hope this will start to shift in 2025.

www.unmas.org/en/5-pillars...

You're correct, resistance forces & civilians (i.e. TNLA & civilian in Karenni) do ad hoc clearance wherever they can; unfortunately they don't have the training or equipment to ensure this is comprehensive. Not their fault, they are incredibly brave & doing the best they can w/ what is available.

Sadly, without the funding, resources and training support to conduct humanitarian clearance operations, there are limited options to mitigate these risks, outside of imparting messages like these. Please share these w/anyone who might need them, or DM me for more info.

Local actors on the ground also take great risks in delivering this education to children on the ground in conflict zones; local CBO personnel, volunteers, religious actors, and others all brave conflict to try and limit the impact of these weapons on children.

These images are educational materials jointly developed by local & international mine action actors, and are used to educate children specifically on the risks of these weapons. Posters, leaflets, games, role plays, mobile phone apps, coloring books, etc are all used to try and impart key messages.

Thanks!

2/2 - I'll share info here on the humanitarian situation & local responses, which are far more impactful & relevant than internationally-led interventions & info on the scourge of explosive weapons. Also on the super brave folks in 🇲🇲 dealing with this stuff, like him:

english.dvb.no/myanmars-vol...