World Food Programme (WFP) warns that COVID-19 third wave has hit Myanmar’s people like a ‘tsunami’
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday that it is facing a 70 per cent funding shortfall in Myanmar, where millions face growing food insecurity.
Amid the “triple impact of poverty, the current political unrest and economic crisis”, coupled with the rapidly spreading third wave of COVID-19, that is “practically like a tsunami that’s hit this country”, the people of Myanmar are “experiencing the most difficult moment in their lives”, WFP Myanmar Country Director Stephen Anderson said, from Nay Pyi Taw.
“These multiple challenges are undermining the ability of many communities throughout Myanmar to put food on their family’s table,” he added. The WFP needs $86 million to help fight hunger in the country over the next six months, amid turmoil since the military ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi on 1 February 1.
In April, the UN agency estimated that 3.4 million more people nationwide could be pushed into food insecurity between May and October. In response, the WFP tripled its planned support to the country and commenced “large-scale emergency food distributions for up to two million people in the poorest townships of Myanmar, starting in Yangon,” Mr Anderson explained.
At the same time, the WFP is “stepping up its operations” to reach newly-displaced people affected by the clashes and insecurity in recent months, while continuing to assist 360,000 food-insecure people in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states, where there have been longstanding concerns.
Calling for critical access to all those in need in order to provide them with humanitarian assistance, Mr. Anderson urged the international community to support the WFP’s work.
“We very much need sustained access to those who are in greatest need of humanitarian assistance…we do need the support and attention of the international community now more than ever.”
ends
STORY: Myanmar Food Insecurity - WFP
TRT: 03:04”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 6 August 2021, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1. Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
2. Wide shot, press briefing room.
3. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Stephen Anderson, WFP Myanmar Country Director: “The people of Myanmar are going through their most difficult time in memory. They've been faced with multiple challenges, multiple shocks. First of all, poverty. Of course, poverty predated the current situation. But then, of course, since the 1 February military takeover, there has been increased political unrest, there is also economic and economic crisis.”
4.Wide of panel at the briefing.
5. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Stephen Anderson, WFP Myanmar Country Director: “COVID19, we had a very tough second wave last year, which had a devastating impact on people's livelihoods, and now the third wave, it's practically like a tsunami that's hit this country. It's hitting all aspects and creating major havoc.”
6.Close, side view of panel at the briefing.
7.SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Stephen Anderson, WFP Myanmar Country Director:
“WFP has tried to launch large-scale assistance to people who are we believe are in very high need, in critical need in urban areas, in the poorest parts of the urban areas. And we started in Yangon and we've assisted approximately 750,000 people so far. But we believe that about two million people should be targeted with emergency food assistance.”
8.Mid of journalists at the briefing.
9. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Stephen Anderson, WFP Myanmar Country Director:
“We are also sustaining our support for about 360 thousand people who require monthly lifesaving support. And these were people who were needy even before this year. They are mainly living in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states where there has been long-running conflict.”
10.Mid of journalist at briefing.
11. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Stephen Anderson, WFP Myanmar Country Director:
“So, essentially, we are facing a 70 per cent funding gap over the next six months. We need approximately $86 million. Equally, of course, we very much need sustained access to those who are in greatest need of humanitarian assistance. And really so to really sum it up, we do need the support and attention of the international community now more than ever.”
12. Mid of journalist on phone at briefing.
13. Wide of panel at briefing.
14. Mid of journalist at briefing.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned of the risk of the violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo escalating throughout the Great Lakes sub-region, following the recent takeover of Goma city by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.
1
1
1
Edited News | HRC
UN human rights chief Volker Türk expressed profound concerns at the ongoing violent escalation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) caused by the ongoing Rwanda-backed M23 offensive. “If nothing is done, the worst may be yet to come, for the people of the eastern DRC, but also beyond the country’s borders,” he told a Special Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNAIDS
US aid funding cuts create confusion, put HIV prevention at risk, says UNAIDS
The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created “a lot of confusion” in community HIV prevention work, despite the waiver issued for HIV/AIDS programmes, the UN agency to combat AIDS (UNAIDS) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNFPA , OCHA , UNOG
UN agencies offered a dire assessment on Tuesday about the global impact of deep cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration and reiterated calls for Washington to retain its position as a global aid leader.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
While West Bank camp is destroyed, UNRWA delivers bulk of aid in Gaza
Large swathes of Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank have been completely destroyed following a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli security forces (ISF), the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday raised the alarm about the growing human rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the UN bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and the head of UN Human Rights Myanmar team James Rodehaver, describedunprecedented levels of killing in 2024, four years since the coup.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNRWA
The largest UN agency in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UNRWA, said on Friday that its staff are still helping the people of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem who depend on them “for their sheer survival”, a day after the Israeli parliament ban on its activities entered into force.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WFP , WHO
Goma: ‘Critical’ moment for population caught in crossfire – UN humanitarians
In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), civilians caught up in heavy fighting face a “critical” 24 hours, with food and water running low and aid unable to enter, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNOG
Nazi death camp survivor Ivan Lefkovits shared harrowing testimony of his experiences on Monday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, with a timeless message for present and future generations: “Don't be neutral, especially not towards human suffering."
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said it was “deeply concerned by the use of unlawful lethal force in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank”, as part of an ongoing Israeli military operation.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“We are deeply alarmed at the heightened risk of an attack by the M23 armed group on Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” Ravina Shamdasani said.