Tom Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, told reporters in New York on Oct. 31 that humanitarian conditions in Myanmar have "significantly" deteriorated since his last report and that planned elections are a "sham." Andrews said roughly 22 million people now require humanitarian assistance while the number of people targeted to receive U.N. aid has fallen.

Andrews said the situation in Myanmar worsened after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake on March 28 that he said affected an estimated 17 million people, damaged about 157,000 buildings and left roughly 200,000 people homeless; he cited a World Bank estimate of about $11 billion in damage. "The military junta of Myanmar took that natural disaster and turned it into a humanitarian advantage," Andrews said, alleging systematic obstruction of relief deliveries and abuses including harassment of aid workers, confiscation of medical supplies and forced conscription of young people involved in relief efforts.

Why it matters: Andrews warned that rising need and falling aid create a widening gap. He said the United Nations internal targeting for assistance was reduced from 6.7 million people to 4.8 million, while an estimated 22 million people are in need. He added that the World Food Programme has cut food assistance to about 1 million people in Myanmar, including 100,000 people in Rakhine State for whom that assistance is the primary source of food.

Andrews described a marked escalation in aerial attacks after the earthquake, saying there were more aircraft and drone strikes on civilian targets in the month after the quake than in any other month of 2025, and that the second quarter of 2025 saw more air strikes on civilian targets than any previous quarter since the 2021 coup. He also cited 169 recorded attacks on health-care facilities and personnel in the first eight months of 2025.

Andrews said the crisis is regional in effect: "Millions of people have been escaping over the border into Bangladesh, into Thailand, into Malaysia, and well, beyond," he said, and warned that criminal networks have trafficked young people into scam centers that operate across borders.

Elections and legitimacy: Andrews called elections that he said are scheduled for Dec. 28 a "sham," saying free and fair voting is impossible while opposition leaders remain detained, dozens of parties have been dissolved and press freedom is curtailed. He urged member states not to send election observers, saying their presence could "be a party to the junta's attempt to create a sense of legitimacy" around the vote. (Transcript includes a later, unclear reference to an "Oct. 28" date for the vote; the date is not clarified in the briefing.)

Arms and money: Andrews said the junta sustains its attacks with three inputs: money, weapons and legitimacy. He identified Russia and China as the top sources of weapons to the junta and listed Singapore as a third source in prior reporting. He described a Singapore investigation that, after action was taken, coincided with a roughly 90% drop in weapons transfers through that route and an overall one-third reduction in weapons and materials to Myanmar, underscoring his argument that member-state measures can reduce flows of arms.

India and alleged refugee abuses: Responding to criticism from India, Andrews said his allegations concerning treatment of Rohingya refugees in India are substantiated. He described a case in which 40 Rohingya detained in Delhi were put on a military aircraft and a vessel, beaten and made to attempt to reach shore by sea; Andrews said he has submitted a formal inquiry to the Government of India and had not received a substantive response by the time of the briefing.

Education and Rohingya refugees: Asked about educations role in mitigating violence, Andrews said education is critical but that the U.N. is increasingly constrained by declining support from member states. He reiterated that about 1.2 million Rohingya are in Bangladesh in overcrowded, precarious conditions and said more investment and accountability are needed.

Andrewss appeal: The rapporteur urged U.N. member states to "step up and take action," to cut the juntas access to weapons and money and to avoid steps that would confer legitimacy on sham elections. He framed the crisis as one with global reverberations, not only a regional or national emergency.

What Andrews did not decide at the briefing: The session recorded no formal U.N. decisions, votes or directives; Andrews made recommendations and urged action but did not announce new U.N. measures at the briefing.