Joint News Release: The EU Boosts Funding to WFP as Food Insecurity Reaches Alarming Levels in Myanmar

The funding secured through the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) will provide emergency food assistance for people affected by the devastating floods which have impacted nearly one million people and damaged one million acres of farmland. 

Currently, one in four – 13.3 million people - are food insecure, with 2.7 million of these facing emergency levels of food insecurity. Additionally, the cost of food staples has increased by 50 per cent compared to last year. Meanwhile, about 3.4 million people are internally displaced in Myanmar, up from 300,000 just three years ago.

“The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is alarming. The ongoing conflict continues to impact new areas, and is compounded by recurrent natural hazards that put an additional strain on the civilian population, whose coping capacities are already stretched to breaking point. A quarter of the population in Myanmar don’t have enough food. The European Union remains committed to supporting the most vulnerable people and communities in this increasingly dire situation,” said Mr. Luc Verna, who oversees EU humanitarian programmes in Myanmar.

“Food insecurity has never been this severe in Myanmar’s recent history with more and more people facing multiple shocks,” said Mr. Paolo Mattei, WFP representative in Myanmar. “We count on support from the international community, such as the generous contributions from the European Union, to alleviate the suffering of millions of people.”

This contribution brings the total funding from the European Union this year to EUR 7.2 million (USD 8 million). The support is aimed at helping WFP reach up to two million people across the country with lifesaving food and nutrition assistance. 

WFP will work with communities and local non-governmental organizations in delivering the EU’s support ensuring that this lifesaving assistance directly reaches people in most need. 

Photos are available here.                                                                                              

About EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid: 

The European Union and its Member States are among the leading donors of humanitarian aid in the world. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by disasters and crises.

Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

About WFP:

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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