Originally published on BNI
Living conditions for people with disabilities in Myanmar, including access to healthcare and livelihoods, has worsened since the 2021 military coup, according to caregivers who spoke to the Than Lwin Times.
People with disabilities make up nearly 13 percent of Myanmar’s population. Since 2021, they have struggled to survive. They have faced setbacks in all areas of their lives, including livelihoods, as well as access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.
Those who previously assisted them have been forced to prioritise their own families and livelihoods due to post-coup economic hardships that have left them unable to assist disabled people with healthcare and other needs.
Skyrocketing prices of basic food items and medicines have made it increasingly difficult for people with disabilities to afford to pay for their regular medication or to attend clinics.
“Access to healthcare for people with disabilities has reached its lowest point. When they can’t afford medicine, they have no choice but to endure their situation,” said a caregiver.
“Everyone is struggling to make a living, but at least able-bodied individuals can find ways to navigate through hardship. For people with disabilities, however, the challenges are far more severe,” added the caregiver.
The 2015 Disability Rights Act mandates that the government provide special care for people with disabilities, including financial support for those unable to work. It also states that various departments and organizations need to focus on on creating education, healthcare, employment, and rehabilitation opportunities for people with disabilities.
But since the 2021 military coup, people with disabilities no longer receive financial support and are losing their healthcare rights.
The Myanmar Coordination Committee for Equal Rights of People with Disabilities (MCERP) stated that there have been instances of people with disabilities dying from starvation and lack of access to medical care in areas where fighting is occurring between pro-military and anti-regime forces.
“In conflict-driven displacement situations, providing healthcare to those in need is extremely challenging,” said Zaw Lin Tun, the chairperson of MCERP. “Furthermore, the junta has imposed strict blockades on the delivery of medicine. We have received reports that, in the past month, five people with disabilities in Chin State have died due to a lack of food and medicine.”
Approximately six million people in Myanmar with disabilities are facing challenges and more than half of them are women, according to data released by the U.N. and several international agencies on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 3.
At the U.N. General Assembly on Nov. 1, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Kyaw Moe Tun said that the regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power after the coup, was subjecting people with disabilities to targeted attacks, arrests, torture, and killings.
According to caregivers who assist people with disabilities, the number of people living with disability in Myanmar is expected to rise significantly due to injuries sustained as a result of conflict, including airstrikes and artillery shelling carried out by the military across the country.
