UN official says Myanmar's people are in 'a severe crisis'

This handout from the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) on Sept 29, 2021 shows belongings outside a damaged building in Kone Tha village, Demoso township in Kayah state, after fighting between the KNDF and the military as the country continues to be in turmoil after the February coup. - AFP

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 1 (AP): The UN’s top humanitarian official in Myanmar has announced that the south-East Asian nation's people are living in "a severe crisis,” with a level of poverty not seen for at least 20 years.

Andrew Kirkwood said in a virtual briefing to UN correspondents that the number of people in the country needing aid has tripled to 3 million since the military takeover on Feb. 1 while a total of 20 million are living in poverty, or nearly half the population.