In this context, many international aid organisations are facing a humanitarian dilemma: to leave or to stay and collaborate with the junta?
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When Aid Becomes a Weapon
The Impact of the 2021 Military Coup on Humanitarian Assistance in Myanmar
Key Insights
- . Does the long-standing belief that independent, international agencies are best suited to deliver humanitarian assistance still hold today?
- . Aid approaches in Myanmar should emphasise locality rather than neutrality.
- . The presence of a repressive military junta and numerous insurgency groups mean that traditional methods of aid distribution face many barriers to success. Hence, we recommend a humanitarian resistance approach.
Cite this brief
Schuelke, A., Pujol, W. (2026). When Aid Becomes a Weapon. EPIS Insight · Human Rights & Humanitarian Aid.
