A new UN report reveals that Myanmar's military killed at least 702 civilians, including 224 women and 153 children, during a six-month election period last year. The report covers August to January, following the military's announcement of elections widely condemned as a sham due to the exclusion of major opposition parties.

The report warns that a decline in international assistance is compounding the suffering of millions. Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar has been engulfed in civil war, with thousands killed and millions displaced. Large areas remain under opposition control.

The UN Human Rights Office states that airstrikes remained the single largest cause of destruction and suffering. The Sagaing region was the most dangerous for civilians, with 191 deaths, including 60 women and 30 children, as the military sought to gain ground.

In October, 23 people, including four children, were killed and over 60 wounded when munitions struck civilians gathered in front of a school in Chaung-U during a candlelit event for Buddhist Lent and political prisoner release. In December, a military airstrike on a tea shop in Tabayin killed at least 19 and wounded 20 others watching a football match.

The report also highlights abuses against Rohingya people, including forced recruitment by the Arakan Army, killings, arbitrary arrests, and sexual violence. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk stated, "As if the people of Myanmar have not suffered enough... they have now seemingly been forgotten by those outside the country."

Source: www.bbc.com