THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD

Published purpose

October 2013 – Burma experiences frequent natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, drought and earthquakes and there has also been decades of low-intensity conflict between the Burmese army and the minority ethnic independence movements. The ongoing conflict and the regularly occurring natural disasters have created a challenging humanitarian situation in Burma. More than 650,000 people are internally displaced, having been forced to move away from their homes due to conflict, and more than 350,000 Burmese refugees are living in neighbouring countries. With DFATD’s support, the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) 2013 operation in Burma aim to provide emergency food assistance to an estimated 1,570,000 conflict-affected people who are food insecure, or do not have access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food, and who have been displaced from their homes. WFP’s main programming areas in humanitarian contexts are to provide food assistance to address acute malnutrition and food insecurity, and to protect people’s ability to earn a living. Some project activities include: (1) distributing food assistance; (2) providing nutrition support for children under the age of five, pregnant and lactating women, and people living with tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS who are on anti-retroviral therapy; (3) providing post-disaster support to help people recover, such as food-for-work initiatives; and (4) establishing school feeding.