Yangon, June (28)
The number of people with disabilities has risen significantly in the last two years as a result of the armed conflicts, and other factors in Myanmar, chairman of Myanmar Coordination Committee for Equal Rights of People with Disabilities (MCERP) told Than Lwin Times.
The disease, natural disasters, and ongoing conflicts, apart from congenital disorders, are also contributing factors to the increase in the number of people with disabilities.
Armed conflicts are happening every day in different parts of the country, and people are losing their limbs, sight, and hearing, and this has led to a significant increase in the number of people with disabilities.
According to U Zaw Lin Tun, chairman of MCERP, the number of disabled persons is growing as a result of aerial bombardment, artillery fire, and malnutrition, and thousands of disabilities have been reported under the military regime.
However, most people with disabilities do not have full access to health care as before and are losing their basic rights.
“The most disabled people are found in the areas where the fighting took place, and due to the lack of stability in the area, they do not receive timely medical treatment. And there are few job opportunities in the conflict-torn areas of Sagaing, Magway, Chin, Kachin, Shan, and Karen. The situation is even worse in the Karenni State,” said MCERP Chairman U Zaw Lin Tun.
People with disabilities could not move to safety in time, so they were hit by heavy and small arms and died during the fighting. They were also killed by the junta army while they were fleeing.
People with disabilities, on the other hand, lost practically all of their access to education and health, job opportunities, and the right to live under the military coup, and suffered physical and mental issues, according to the volunteers who assist the disabled.
According to Myanmar’s 2019 inter-censal survey, 12.8 percent of the country’s population is disabled, and the number of disabled people is growing on a daily basis as a result of ongoing conflict.
News-Than Lwin Times
Photo-CJ