UN News Today 08 October 2026 |

Myanmar: Poverty deepens as families face multiple shocks

Years of conflict, displacement, economic disruption and climate shocks in Myanmar have led to the “simultaneous collapse” of shelter, healthcare, schooling and livelihoods.

That’s the worrying finding of a new report from the UN Development Programme – UNDP.

It reveals that more than two in three people now endure “multidimensional poverty” or are at risk of falling into it. 

“Myanmar may no longer dominate international headlines, but the hardships facing millions of people continue to deepen,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. 

The UN has frequently highlighted the many problems facing the people of Myanmar, which has been engulfed in civil war since the military seized power in February 2021. In addition to economic hardship, the country was hit by a devastating earthquake in March last year. 

“We are seeing a depth of poverty in Myanmar that is eroding human development itself. This is a no-win war. Everyone is losing,” Ms. Wignaraja stressed. 

Rakhine state in western Myanmar is among the most severe poverty hotspots. More than two-thirds of the population are poor – and nearly a third are severely poor, according to the poverty scale. 

Cheap reading glasses remain key conduit to better quality of life

Poor eyesight impacts an estimated 2.2 billion people, with nearly one in three living in the Southeast Asia. 

To mark World Sight Day, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed that nearly half of the global burden could be fixed with surgery or a pair of reading glasses. 

It noted that young children with severe and uncorrected vision impairment can struggle at school, while adults who can’t see well are often linked to lower productivity at work, absenteeism and high rates of depression.

The agency’s free app – WHOeyes – helps people gauge how good or bad their eyesight is without having to see a specialist. But it’s not a long-term public health solution, as Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge for WHO Southeast Asia, explains:

“WHO eyes mobile app is considered valid and reliable community-based vision screening tool. In terms of accuracy and reliability, it’s quite high and strong, although the download numbers can be considered moderate and the user reviews are also a bit mixed. But we clearly say that the app is strictly a screening instrument and explicitly does not replace comprehensive professional eye examination.” 

Across the vast region, cataracts are the overwhelming cause of blindness and sight problems, along with uncorrected vision impairment and damage to the retina caused by diabetes.

Under global targets supported by WHO, governments have committed to a 40 per cent increase in helping people with so-called “refractive error” issues and a 30 per cent increase in cataract surgery success by 2030. 

235,000 Gazans forced to shelter in 400 flood-prone sites

Finally to Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians continue to shelter in flood-prone sites across the war-torn enclave.

According to UNWRA, the agency for Palestinian refugees, 235,000 displaced Gazans live in 400 unsuitable areas, along with 44,000 still based in unstable buildings that are more likely to collapse in the winter months.

The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to support Gazans despite ongoing insecurity with people “still being killed and displaced”, one year since a ceasefire agreement between Hamas fighters and Israel.

On Tuesday, the UN brought more fuel into Gaza to help keep basic services running. Aid teams also collected medical and education supplies and food from the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south of the enclave, as families face a fourth winter in tents and makeshift shelters.

In an appeal for greater access, the UN’s top aid coordinator, Tom Fletcher, stressed the need for more funding for fuel “to prevent a dangerous slowdown of healthcare, water provision, rescue operations, debris removal and other critical services”.

Daniel Johnson, UN News