UNICEF Raises Alarm Over Deadly Myanmar Airstrikes Targeting Civilians

UNICEF Raises Alarm Over Deadly Myanmar Airstrikes Targeting Civilians
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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed grave concern over recent airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s military that reportedly killed and injured civilians, including children, amid the country’s ongoing civil conflict.

According to independent regional media reports, air attacks this week struck areas in Sagaing Region and Rakhine State. In one incident, paramotor aircraft were reported to have dropped explosives on a village in Sagaing. A day later, a fighter jet allegedly targeted a crowded market in Rakhine State, killing at least 17 civilians, including children, and injuring more than a dozen others. Casualty figures remain subject to verification due to restricted access to conflict zones.

In a public statement, UNICEF called on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of children and non-combatants. The agency warned that escalating aerial bombardments are placing children at extreme risk and worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.

Since the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar, United Nations estimates indicate that approximately 6,800 civilians have been killed and around 3.6 million people displaced. Human rights monitors report that the military’s expanded use of aircraft, drones and paramotors has intensified civilian harm, contributing to one of Asia’s most severe humanitarian emergencies.