Overview
Rakhine State is located in the western part of Myanmar, bordering with Chin State in the north, Magway, Bago and Ayeyarwaddy Regions in the east, Bay of Bengal to the west and Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is one of the most remote and second poorest state in Myanmar, geographically separated from the rest of the country by mountains. The estimated population of Rakhine State is 3.2 million. Chronic poverty and high vulnerability to shocks are widespread throughout the State. Acute malnutrition remains a concern in Rakhine. The food security situation is particularly critical in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships with 15.1 percent and 19 percent prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) among children 6-59 months respectively. Meanwhile the prevalence of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is 2 percent and 3.9 percent -above WHO critical emergency thresholds.
The prevalence of GAM in Sittwe rural and urban IDP camps is 8.6 percent and 8.5 percent whereas the SAM prevalence is 1.3 percent and 0.6 percent. The existing malnutrition has been exacerbated by the 2015 nationwide floods as a Multi-sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) reported that 22 percent of assessed villages in Rakhine having nutrition problems with feeding children under 2. Moreover, WFP and FAO’s joint Crops and Food Security Assessment Missionin December 2015 predicted the likelihood of severe food shortage particularly in hardest hit areas of Rakhine.
WFP is the main humanitarian organization providing uninterrupted food assistance in Rakhine. Its first operation in Myanmar commenced in 1978 in northern Rakhine, following the return of 200,000 refugees from Bangladesh. For three years, through its emergency operation, WFP provided food aid to the returnees to help them rebuild their livelihoods. In 1994, WFP returned to Rakhine to assist the repatriation of 250,000 people, whose food security and nutritional status was affected by restrictions to travel to certain parts of the State to work or trade for their livelihood, to access health and education services. Since June 2012, when the inter-communal violence broke out in Rakhine, WFP has been providing life-saving food assistance to approximately 128,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) through its sub-offices in Maungdaw and Sittwe. In addition, WFP has been providing relief assistance to flood-affected population. WFP is currently operating its programmes in Buthidaung, Kyaukphyu, Kyauk Taw, Maungdaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Myebon, Pauk Taw, Ramree, Rathedaung and Sittwe Townships.