By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN head Antonio Guterres on Thursday said that he is deeply concerned about reports of escalation of violence in Myanmar which has caused civilian suffering and displacement, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in New York.
He noted that indiscriminate aerial attacks causing civilian casualties, continue to be reported in many parts of Myanmar which is under military rule since February 2021.
Mr. Guterres reiterated his calls on all parties to the conflict to end violence and reminded them of the obligation to protect civilians, as required under international law.
He also urged all sides to prevent further incitement of intercommunal tensions.
According to the latest survey by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Myanmar remains a leading source of opium and heroin, even though opium production has slowed.
The report analyses data collected during the third growing season since the military seized power in a coup.
It shows a moderate decrease of four per cent from 47,100 hectares to 45,200 and a similar decrease in yield per hectare, pointing to an initial stabilization of cultivation at the current high levels, thus cementing Myanmar’s status as the world’s leading source of opium.
The uneven distribution of the decrease across the country as well as uncertainties regarding the impact of the continued drug ban in Afghanistan on global demand for opium and heroin suggest that Myanmar’s opium economy is at a crossroads.
UNODC Regional Representative Masood Karimipour said that “as conflict dynamics in the country remain intense and the global supply chains adjust to the ban in Afghanistan, we see significant risk of a further expansion over the coming years.”
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