Myanmar
Myanmar
Type of intervention
- Nutrition and mental health
- Mental health and care practices
- Food security
- Water, hygiene and sanitation
Places of interventions
- Kayah State
- North Rakhine State
- Sittwe region
- Chin State
2010 and 2011 were two important years for Myanmar.The Junta was replaced by a president who started to operate a political transition. Although, this represents a major change, it needs to be effectively implemented. Myanmar remains one of the poorest countries of the Asian continent.
2010 Elections, new Parliament, Constitution voted at the beginning of 2011, and the new civil government in March 2011 are all signs of a real political transition. The reform agenda of the President Thein Sein was faster than analysts expected and the country is going through historical change.
Severe acute under-nutrition rate in the North Arakan State is 19,5% according to a nutritional survey in 2010. This alarming rate combine different factors: insufficiency of food resources, limited access to health structures and inappropriate food practices. Further, the North Arakan State is not the only area affected by food insecurity: 85% of households in Kayah State face recurrent food shortages. The national agricultural production has been impacted by irregular rains and high agricultural inputs prices.
In terms of humanitarian needs, ethnical conflicts, and the exposure to natural disasters are the key factors of the country under-development during military regime.
In response to those needs, ACF focuses on:
- The improvement of the access to prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition in the North Arakan State by an integrated approach.
- The help of the most vulnerable population and the one affected by armed conflicts in some Eastern regions.
- The reinforcement of long-term population resilience to disasters.
- The response to food insecurity and specific needs linked to under-nutrition in Myanmar.
Funding
ECHO, EC, UNHCR, SDC, DANIDA, ACF's private donators, CDC, Cartier, UNICEF, WFP, DFID
Key figures of the country
- Number of beneficiaries: 130,000
- Population: 48,3 million inhabitant
- Life expectancy: 65,2 years old
- Human Index Development: 149/187
- GDP/inhabitant: 380 US$
Sources: UNDP, UN
Il n'y a pas de résultat
One third of the Burmese people are from ethnical minorities. Minorities principally live in the 7 States (Shan, Kachin, Chin, Kayin, Kayah, Mon, Arakan) surrounding 7 areas populated by Bamars or Burmese.
Despite the ceasefire agreement in the mid 1990’s, the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) in the Kayah State and the Karen National Union in the Kayin State (KNU) are still very active. The protracted armed conflict on the Burmese Thai border has led to massive displacement (roughly between 600,000 and 1,000,000 persons). In the most affected areas, people suffer from rapes, food insecurity, under-nutrition and increase of diseases.
Moreover, Myanmar is exposed to many natural risks: cyclones, floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and seasonal fires. Climate change has harmful consequences on the country which faces irregular rainy seasons, floods and droughts. Myanmar is also situated on three important tectonic plates, which make it vulnerable to earthquakes.
After Nargis cyclone in 2008, large human losses (around 150,000 deaths) and livelihoods losses have clearly showed a high level of vulnerability of Ayeyarwaddy’s Delta populations, and a lack of preparation fromthe government and communities addressing such a disaster. Therefore, it is possible to anticipate that big disasters in Myanmar will result in high mortality rates, destruction of infrastructures and important psychosocial impacts. Around every 10 years, a cyclone shut down on the region.
ACF in Myanmar:
ACF’s first response in Myanmar was launched in 1994 in the East Arakan to reduce morbidity and mortality through water, hygiene and sanitation activities.
Since 1995, water, hygiene and sanitation, and food security programs for households have been implemented in the North Arakan to support Bangladeshi refugees. Then programs focused on therapeutic nutrition in the North Arakan in 2003 and progressively evolved to a communitarian and integrated approach of severe acute under-nutrition.
ACF has progressively targeted others vulnerable areas which didn’t have any response to their needs. Water, hygiene and sanitation, and food security activities were launched in 2008 in the conflict Kayah area. ACF has a strong humanitarian presence in this region with a mid-term program which benefits to around 7% of the population.
During the past years, ACF has answered to major disasters that have affected the country. Following Nargis and Giri cyclones (in 2008 and 2010), nearly 115,000 persons have benefited from ACF’s activities.
After the floods in June 2010, ACF has launched an emergency program in the North Arakan for around 140,000 families, through food supply and non-food items distributions and water, hygiene and sanitation activities.