Myanmar - Humanitarian Assistance for the Rohingya Crisis - CLWR 2020

March 2020 – The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is characterized by a complex combination of vulnerability to armed conflict inter-communal tension protracted displacement and food insecurity. It is estimated that 985 000 crisis-affected people are in need of humanitarian assistance this year including more than 273 000 displaced people (of which 69% are women and children) who remain in camps or camp-like settings across the country. With GAC’s support Canadian Lutheran World Relief and its local partner Lutheran World Federation Myanmar are providing clean drinking water non-food items and shelter to internally displaced people and host communities in Central Rakhine State Myanmar. The project is also addressing issues of protection and social cohesion. Project activities include: (1) improving rainwater harvesting ponds and installing hand pumps; (2) distributing non-food items to persons with disabilities elderly people children without caregivers and single-headed households; (3) re-constructing longhouses in a safer more dignified and gender-responsive manner; (4) providing training on leadership and rights-based empowerment to women adolescent girls and girls; and (5) conducting awareness raising sessions on sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved access to safe water sanitation and hygiene facilities; (2) improved access to basic necessities and safe dignified gender-responsive housing; (3) enhanced living conditions and peaceful coexistence between internally displaced people and host communities; (4) increased awareness of sexual and reproductive health and rights; and (5) increased leadership capacity among women and girls. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in communities experiencing humanitarian crises or that are food insecure.