As ASEAN conducts a needs assessment to provide aid to the people of Myanmar, Dr Kao emphasized that the focus would be on those who had to move due to violence and those who couldn’t access basic necessities. However, the assessment has faced challenges, such as access and identifying credible parties to interview. Dr Kao also mentioned plans to visit Myanmar after the assessment, with the main goal of finding out the needs and concerns of the people and reducing violence. ASEAN’s previous pledging conference in 2021 raised almost US$8 million in monetary pledges and in-kind contributions for COVID-19 relief.
