UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. Mission to Mon and Kayin States

What does it actually mean when we say the UN is “on a field visit”?

It means getting out of meeting rooms and spending time with the people closest to the realities we are trying to understand. It means long hours on the road, listening to communities, meeting local partners, seeing programmes first-hand, and asking what is working, what isn’t, and what needs to change.

Over three days in Mon and Kayin States, Gwyn Lewis, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i., did just that: meeting people affected by conflict and displacement, women, young people and civil society organisations and partners, and seeing how support ranges from essential services to education, livelihoods and opportunities for communities to become more resilient.

Long roads, heavy rains, many stops and even more conversations, all against the backdrop of the hills and landscapes of southeastern Myanmar. Come along with us for a glimpse behind the scenes of a UN field mission and see why being on the ground matters.