HIGHLIGHTS
An estimated 1 million people in Burma require humanitarian assistance
HCT requests $190 million through newly launched 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan
USG contributes additional $5 million for food assistance to IDPs and conflict-affected people
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
While a recent historic parliamentary election and nationwide ceasefire agreement mark a period of positive developments in Burma, humanitarian needs in the country persist, primarily due to ongoing localized conflicts, prolonged population displacement, and continued vulnerability to natural disasters, such as floods and landslides.
In mid-December, the Burma Humanitarian Country Team (HCT)—comprising representatives from the UN, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—launched its 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan, requesting nearly $190 million to provide humanitarian assistance to an estimated 1 million people in need, including 620,000 people in conflict-affected Kachin, Rakhine, and Shan states.
To date in FY 2016, USAID/FFP has provided $5 million to the UN World Food Program (WFP) to distribute food assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other vulnerable populations in Burma. In addition, ongoing U.S. Government (USG) funding from FY 2015 continues to support the humanitarian response to the complex emergency, including assistance to both IDPs in Burma and Burmese refugees and asylum seekers in neighboring countries. Separately from its assistance to conflictaffected populations, USAID contributed more than $5 million in FY 2015 for humanitarian flood-relief activities in Burma.