Addressing Food Security and Livelihoods in Times of Increasing Uncertainty

The ongoing economic and political crisis in Myanmar brings significant challenges for residents — especially those living in rural communities in the Sagaing and Magway regions, which are a significantly affected by conflicts between armed groups. Households and communities have been strained by the violence. Tens of thousands of homes, educational and healthcare facilities have been destroyed, along with food supplies. More than three million people in Myanmar have been internally displaced, and many young people have fled the country. 

Commodity prices are soaring, and Myanmar’s agricultural sector is faced with an acute labor shortage, raising concerns over food security and economic prospects for the country. The conflict has also led to deteriorating social cohesion, with people being forced to choose sides in the protracted crisis. 

Recent sudden-onset disasters have worsened an already dire situation. Continuous heavy rainfall in July 2024 led to flash floods that caused mass displacement, damaged essential infrastructure, and destroyed agriculture.  

It will take years to recover from these numerous interconnected challenges. Emergency response activities have been integrated into the existing Community Resilience and Empowerment (CORE) project to focus on meeting these regions’ most urgent needs, including:  

• Delivering multipurpose cash assistance and hygiene kits to flood-affected households 
• Improving sanitation and water infrastructure 
• Establishing nutritious, climate-smart local food systems that are resilient to future shocks 
• Producing community-based disaster risk management plans 
• Strengthening social protection systems to provide a safety net for vulnerable populations 

Meeting urgent needs 

Widespread flooding left thousands of families without shelter and unable to access essential goods and services. Cash assistance to 4,700 families will help support the local economy while giving people the flexibility to prioritize and meet their most pressing needs. Hygiene kits will also be distributed to those who have lost homes. 

Opportunities for work  

Flood-affected villages are faced with an extraordinary amount of debris and waste to clean up, including of water sources, to put them on the path toward recovery. This cleanup will be carried out by a Cash for Work activity whereby 2,200 individuals will be paid local market rates to clean up water sources and key community buildings such as schools.  

Establishing resilient food systems 

The project is working with 2,500 farming households across 40 villages to adopt resource-efficient and climate-smart agricultural practices.  These households will also be supported through better access to financial support, agricultural inputs, and markets, as well as training on improved farming practices. These interventions will lead to increased food production, enhancing access to nutritious food for residents of these two regions. 

Strengthening social protection systems 

The project will work with community-based organizations to strengthen their capacity to provide effective services for the communities in this increasingly fragile contexts. These organizations increase their networking and coordination with other system actors, leading to the buildup of locally led systems for risk management, social protection and social cohesion. The aim is to provide social protection to 15,000 people across 30 villages in these two regions, with a focus on particularly vulnerable households.