Myanmar’s Weaponization of COVID-19 The bulk of international aid for fighting On 20 April, the World Bank approved COVID-19 in Myanmar continues to be a $50 million “credit” to the Myanmar state funneled Myanmar health system through “fast-track financing” government in Naypyidaw, with claims that it for equipment and capacity-building of MoHS will still reach the country’s most marginalized. staff in relation to coronavirus treatment and Access to Health (A2H) – the 2019 successor prevention.126 Of note was that one of the to the 3MDG Fund – is arguably the most funding priorities was support for health in prominent health fund in the country, endowed densely populated areas which are globally with $215 million in pooled foreign aid to be considered the most at-risk in the pandemic; managed by UN Office for Project Services in Myanmar, it is the most remote areas that and spent in Myanmar during a five-year period have the least-developed health infrastructure lasting through 2023.123 At the time of reporting, and arguably the most marginalized and out of A2H’s specially designated $7.2 million disenfranchised communities. through the central COVID-19 response fund, just $300,000 had When substantial funds are channelled been dedicated specifically to EHOs, with an solely through the central government and not additional $100,000 for local health teams equitably in support of ethnic health response operating in southern Shan State –comprising efforts, questions are raised regarding whether less than 6 percent of the total COVID-19 the international conflict sensitivity principles response budget.124 However, more than $3 of “do no harm” are being violated in the million of the A2H COVID-19 response fund is process of COVID-19 aid distribution. The allocated directly to the MoHS, and $1 million Myanmar state, which has made ethnic will go to a UNOCHA-managed fund for communities vulnerable through ongoing civil COVID-19 response in conflict areas,125 despite war and dysfunctional social infrastructure, is heavy government restrictions on international once again being entrusted by the international agencies’ access to these war-torn regions. community to protect them, this time from a pandemic – the latest but not the only threat to their lives. 123 Access to Health. “About: Governance.” Copyright 2020. Available at: https://www.accesstohealthfund.org/en/about 124 Access to Health. “Covid19 Response Dashboard.” Copyright 2020. Available at: https://www.accesstohealthfund. org/en/COVID19-dashboard 125 Ibid. 126 The World Bank. “Myanmar: $50 Million in Fast-Track Financing for National COVID-19 Emergency Response.” 20 April 2020. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/04/20/myanmar-50-million-infast-track-financing-for-national-covid-19-coronavirus-emergency-response 43