Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. US Provides $50 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Myanmar VOA News The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday it was providing more than $50 million in humanitarian aid to Myanmar citizens who are coping with a humanitarian crisis sparked by a February 1 military coup. The coup in the Southeast Asian country, formerly known as Burma, has led to deadly anti-junta protests and clashes between several armed ethnic groups and the ruling junta. This has caused shortages of essential goods and services, and it has forced thousands to flee their homes. "This aid will enable our international and non-governmental organization partners to provide emergency food assistance, life-saving protection, shelter, essential health care, water, sanitation and hygiene services to the people of Burma, including those forced to flee violence and persecution," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, announced in the statement that the U.S. also was providing $5 million to help Thailand contain the spread of COVID-19. "Today's announcement of additional COVID-19 assistance to Thailand will support health care workers administering vaccines and will strengthen the vaccine supply chain to help ensure that they reach the most vulnerable populations." Demonstrators reportedly were protesting in the streets of Bangkok again Tuesday to denounce the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Police fired water cannons at protesters who increasingly are angry about Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's handling of the country's most serious outbreak of infections and its adverse impact on the economy, according to Reuters. (Reuters provided some information for this report.) .