At least 40 aid workers have been killed in Myanmar since a 2021 military coup ousted the country's democratically elected government, according to U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk.

In a report to the body's Human Rights Council, Türk condemned "direct attacks" on aid workers, who mainly work for local organizations, amid fighting between the military junta behind the coup and its opponents.

He said the deaths were part of "deliberate and targeted" efforts to obstruct aid and "a calculated denial of fundamental rights and freedoms for large swathes of the population."

The U.N. has already warned that obstruction or denial of humanitarian assistance may amount to serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws.

The junta has killed and injured thousands of civilians while destroying goods and infrastructure necessary for survival, including food, shelter, and medical centers, according to Türk's report.

An estimated 1.5 million people have been internally displaced and approximately 60,000 civilian structures have reportedly been burnt or destroyed, it says.

More than 17.6 million people, or one-third of the overall population, require some form of humanitarian assistance.

"Civilians live at the whim of a reckless military authority that relies on systematic control tactics, fear and terror," Türk told the council.

"Credible sources indicate that as of yesterday, 3,747 individuals have died at the hands of the military since they took power, and 23,747 have been arrested," the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

Those figures include only documented cases, meaning the actual toll is probably much higher.

In June, the United States announced sanctions against Myanmar's Defense Ministry and two "regime-controlled" banks that enable transactions between the military regime and foreign markets, to buy arms and other materials.