Mizzima
Though Myanmar received aid in 2023 that enabled help to be given to people in need it was insufficient according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
In its end-of-year report on humanitarian responses in Myanmar during 2023 the UNOCHA detailed what aid was distributed in Myanmar and areas where there was insufficient aid.
Aid distributed in 2023 included:
631,000 boys, girls and teachers received learning materials (learners’ kits + teachers’ kits)
726,000 people were supported to access primary health care services
762,000 people received overall community awareness raising for prevention and mitigation of protection risks
54,000 people received dignity kits
439,000 people reached through distribution of non-food items (NFIs)
2.1 million people received food assistance (in-kind and/or through cash)
320,000 children aged 6-59 months screened for wasting
273,000 people received child protection case management and psychosocial support
445,000 people received mine action community awareness raising support for prevention and mitigation of protection risks
929,000 crisis-affected people were reached with hygiene items and community-tailored health and hygiene messages.
But, UNOCHA contrasted these figures with a list of aid needs that were unmet during 2023.
As a result of the dire humanitarian funding situation (only 37 per cent of required funding received) report the following consequences for affected people whom they had planned to reach in the 2023 but were unable to support.
More than 200,000 children targeted for assistance lacked access to quality educational services in 2023, hindering their development, squandering future opportunity and perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage.
More than 1.1 million people targeted for support were left without priority life-saving health services, disproportionately impacting maternal and child health, and escalating the risk of preventable disease, something that has potential regional implications.
10,000 children below five years suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) faced grave risk of preventable death in the absence of life-saving treatment and planned support.
42,000 children under five years missed out on preventative acute malnutrition management and likely deteriorated to SAM, with potential consequences for their survival and long-term well-being.
311,000 children under five years faced higher risks of irreparable damage to their optimal growth and development, negatively impacting their educational achievement, productivity in adulthood, and the development potential of the entire country.
An estimated 217,000 babies were potentially born with low birthweight (LBW) as a result of assistance gaps and are likely to face life-long negative impacts due to malnutrition experienced during their time in the womb.
410,000 children (37 per cent of the children targeted) were not supported with the life-saving child protection services planned by partners in the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).
More than 1.2 million people (57 per cent of all people targeted) were left without humanitarian protection services exposing them to negative coping mechanisms, some of which are life-threatening (such as risky migration) and others have life-long consequences that are extremely difficult to reverse (such as the sale of productive assets and early marriage).
72 per cent of planned shelter activities (construction, reconstruction, repair) were not implemented in 2023, leaving 878,000 people living without appropriate places to live and sleep, jeopardizing their physical and emotional well-being.
76 per cent of non-food item (NFI) kits planned for distribution were not delivered, leaving 927,000 people without core relief items they need to survive with dignity such as beds, mats, cooking utensils and clothes.
352,000 displaced people were left without camp coordination assistance and protection services including service monitoring on the need for repairs and replacement infrastructure, camp management, coordination with camp actors and IDPs.
At least 832,000 people did not receive adequate support to cover their most urgent hygiene and sanitation needs, likely impacting their health status.
Access to safe drinking water was not provided to 672,000 people who had been targeted for support with water, sanitation and hygiene issues (WASH).
Nearly three years since the military takeover, the crisis in Myanmar risks becoming a forgotten emergency with catastrophic implications for the well-being of millions of people and for regional security if 2023 funding levels are repeated in 2024, says UNOCHA.
As of 31 January 2024, funding against the 2023 Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan had reached $324 million which is only 37 per cent of the requested funding, leaving a significant $563 million funding gap. Urgent attention and a substantial increase in financial support for both humanitarian and development actors are imperative to bridge this gap in 2024.
