Up to 40 aid workers killed in Myanmar since 2021 coup

GENEVA, July 06 (AFP): UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Thursday up to 40 aid workers have been killed in Myanmar since the military coup that ousted democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.
In a report to the body's Human Rights Council, Turk condemned "direct attacks" on aid workers, who mainly work for local organisations, amid fighting between the military junta behind the coup and its opponents. He said the deaths were part of "deliberate and targeted" efforts to obstruct aid and "a calculated denial of fundamental rights and freedoms for large swathes of the population".
The UN has already warned that obstruction or denial of humanitarian assistance may amount to serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws.
The junta has killed and injured thousands of civilians while destroying goods and infrastructure necessary for survival.