Summary of WFP assistance: The current PRRO provided an opportunity to review and realign activities with national priorities in a period characterised by an unprecedented, rapid and multifaceted transition in Myanmar. WFP coordinated the project closely with the Government and aligned its activities with the national development framework as outlined in the 'Nay Pyi Taw Accord for Effective Development Cooperation, signed in January 2013. In Myanmar, high malnutrition rates and low education indicators remain a major concern. Natural disasters and conflict also pose continuing challenges. Towards the Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC), WFP endeavoured to contribute to more equitable development across the country and support national reconciliation efforts by reducing poverty, food insecurity and undernutrition and increasing resilience among the most vulnerable communities. WFP engagement in Myanmar, driven by the overarching goal to assist Myanmar reach Zero Hunger by 2025, is guided by three Zero Hunger Challenge priorities:
Emergency Preparedness and Response (ZHC Pillar I)
Nutrition (ZHC Pillar II)
Provision of Social Safety Nets (ZHC Pillar I & IV)
In line with WFP's Strategic Objectives 1, 2 ,4 and the Sustainable Development Goals/Global Goals, the project aims to:
1.Prepare for and respond to recurrent natural disasters and other shocks in support of the Government’s response efforts (Strategic Objective 1);
2.Assist post-disaster recovery through the restoration and rehabilitation of productive assets to improve household food security and create socio-economic opportunities for the most vulnerable groups, which contributes to national reconciliation efforts (Strategic Objective 2);
3.Reduce malnutrition among the most vulnerable groups, such as boys, girls and PLW and provide support to people living with PLHIV and TB (Strategic Objective 4); and 4. Improve access and retention of children in primary schools (Strategic Objective 4).
WFP carries out five major activities: relief assistance, nutrition, food-by-prescription for People Living with HIV and TB clients, school feeding and assets creation. Under relief activities, WFP provides life-saving food assistance to almost 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the intercommunal violence in Rakhine State as well as people displaced due to the ethnic conflict in Kachin and Shan. In addition, WFP provides life-saving food assistance for 10,000 returnees in Kokang and 65,000 people affected by the floods and landslides across states/regions of Ayeyarwaddy, Chin, Magway, Rakhine and Sagaing. For treatment and prevention of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) as well as prevention of stunting in Magway, Rakhine, Kachin and Shan, WFP nutrition support is provided to more than 28,000 pregnant women and nursing mothers and 67,600 children under 2 and under 5. WFP provides daily on-site feeding of high energy biscuits to approximately 230,000 schoolchildren. WFP also supports 16,600 people living with HIV and TB clients to prevent malnutrition and improve the effectiveness of their treatment in Kachin, Magway, Rakhine, Shan, Yangon and Wa. WFP works with communities in vulnerable areas to create assets that help (re)build livelihoods and improve people’s food security and resilience in the long term. Under assets creation activities, WFP supports more than 50,000 food-insecure and vulnerable people in Chin, Magway, Mon, Rakhine and Wa.