One year into the socio-political unrest in Myanmar, it is estimated that at least 14.4 million people are in dire need of urgent humanitarian aid. World Vision is gravely concerned about the devastating impacts on more than five million of the nation’s children who have either been traumatised, injured, displaced or at risk of being killed. We urgently call for humanitarian access to the vulnerable during this time of conflict which is showing no signs of abating, and is exacerbated by the raging global pandemic COVID-19. The ongoing and aftershocks of the combined events, and their attendant human and developmental costs to Myanmar are immense and immeasurable.

"Without leaving out the poor and needy like us, Meikswe Myanmar and World Vision have helped us with the right support. It is a fact that we can get out of poverty if we can utilize that support effectively," says Than. "We would like to thank Meikswe Myanmar, World Vision and donors for helping us to get out of difficult situations. If you have any projects in our village in the future, we will actively cooperate with you," says Than.

The "Women's Empowerment and Resilient Inclusive Communities in Rakhine" project was implemented by World Vision in collaboration with Meikswe Myanmar from 2019 to 2021 in Mrauk-U, Sittwe, Ponnagyun, and Pauktaw townships in Rakhine State. The project aims to promote gender equality, particularly related to women's economic empowerment and financial inclusion, and to empower women to engage in, contribute to, and benefit from community resilience, and inclusive growth and development in Rakhine State.

The impact of COVID-19 on children's mental health is so severe that one in seven surveyed feels so afraid that nothing calms them down, while one in 18 said they feel so hopeless that they do not want to carry on living, a new report by World Vision has found. "Children and youth are currently suffering from emotional distress because of school closures and lack of physical activities. We want parents and caregivers to understand our feelings and difficulties, and provide emotional and spiritual support," said 17-year-old Blessing, a child leader from Myanmar.

Six months since the military’s seizure of power, aid agencies are warning of a spiralling humanitarian catastrophe in Myanmar triggered by skyrocketing Covid-19 cases and widespread violence in the country. Over 60 per cent of reported deaths from Covid-19 in Myanmar have occurred in the past month alone, with the number of confirmed cases doubling in the last two months.

On June 1, 2021, an order was issued by the Tanintharyi Regional Administration Council which called for the suspension of unregistered NGOs operating in the region. The order also impacted many registered NGOs, including World Vision Myanmar, which were asked to suspend operations there as well.

News about Myanmar has dominated global media reports over the past three months. The protracted instability in the country, set within the context of COVID-19 of which little has been reported by comparison, has fractured social progress and exacerbated vulnerabilities within communities, especially among children. World Vision is deeply concerned about the effects of local unrest and the global pandemic on Myanmar’s children, whose well-being and future is in jeopardy.

World Vision is deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of children. The violence which they face is unacceptable. World Vision is present in the communities we serve, and will continue to stand with children to ensure that they receive the best possible level of support, within a limited INGO operating context.

Wednesday, MARCH 10, 2021

World Vision is deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of children and civilians in Myanmar, following the escalation in violence which has since claimed the lives of children. We call for peace and the stability needed for continued humanitarian access and protection of the vulnerable, especially children.

World Vision Myanmar, with the support of TODAY Ogilvy, launched the first-ever local fundraising event on the 4th of December, 2019, in Yangon, the business city of Myanmar. This fundraising event deepened World Vision’s commitment to the most vulnerable children by focusing on helping those who live on the streets.

Jara’s family used to live peacefully in a village of Kachin State, Nothern Myanmar until the armed conflict near her village area. It was a night that Jarar and the villagers will never forget. Everyone, both men, women, and children, ran into the dark woods behind the village to escape from the gunfights. Children were screaming because of the sound of guns shooting.

Nang used to be a World Vision sponsored child. With the help of the sponsorship programme, she’s now living her dream as a community development worker. “If I had not become a sponsored child, I would have had to leave school and married at an early age like others. I would like to tell the sponsors and donors that they might think this is a small contribution, but it does bring a change to a child’s life and the community,” says Nang.

Inside a little garden filled with seasonal crops and vegetables, U Maung Pe, 45 years old and the father of two children, works as a small-scale farmer. After attending a gardening training organized by World Vision, there’s been a significant increase in his yield.