This week marks the fifth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar. Over the past five years, people across the country have faced sustained conflict, including state-sanctioned violence, mass internal and external displacement, economic collapse, and repeated natural disasters. These compounding pressures have driven Myanmar into becoming the largest humanitarian crisis in the Indo-Pacific region. 

Yet as humanitarian needs surge, funding has moved in the opposite direction. Major donor withdrawals, including cuts to USAID support, have left the humanitarian response critically underfunded, limiting aid agencies’ ability to deliver lifesaving assistance to millions of people. 

“Millions of people in Myanmar are living without safety, stability, or access to the essentials they need to survive. This includes urgent care such as food assistance, emergency shelter, clean water, and access to basic healthcare,” said ACFID CEO Matthew Maury. 

In a recent submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee’s inquiry into the state of democracy and human rights in Myanmar, the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) has urged the Australian Government to expand humanitarian and development support while also tightening sanctions on the military regime, particularly where existing measures are failing to prevent harm to civilians.  

“Five years on from the coup, the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar continues to deepen while international support falls away. At the same time, the International Court of Justice is examining allegations of genocide against the Myanmar military, underscoring the gravity of the risks facing civilian populations,” continued Mr Maury. 

Despite targeted international sanctions imposed by Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, Myanmar’s military has continued to access sanctioned items like jet fuel. Fuel imports in 2025 exceeded those of any year since the coup, resulting in the deadliest year on record for aerial attacks carried out by the Myanmar military. ACFID encourages the Australian Government to impose additional targeted sanctions to harmonise enforcement with international partners, close loopholes, and ensure the regime and affiliated corporations cannot circumvent sanctions through restructuring or other methods. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact ACFID Media at  [email protected]  or call 0401 721 064.