In a critical development, the United Nations food agency announced on Friday that over a million individuals in Myanmar, beset by ongoing conflict, will soon face a cessation of food assistance due to severe funding shortages. The World Food Program (WFP) revealed that they would halt most food ration distributions in April amidst an escalating humanitarian crisis instigated by intense violence between the ruling military government and combative opposition militias. The statement further highlighted the urgent need for $60 million to maintain the current level of food aid and urged partners to procure additional support.
It remains uncertain whether the WFP’s decision was directly influenced by recent policy changes made by the U.S. administration to discontinue most foreign aid and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, which have significantly impacted humanitarian endeavors globally. U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, responding to inquiries on whether Myanmar’s funding cuts were linked to U.S. reductions, emphasized the interconnected nature of international funding, noting that the U.S. is a substantial contributor to the WFP. He remarked that all U.N. bodies are actively engaging with U.S. officials to convey the severe immediate repercussions of these funding cuts.
A recent 90-day suspension of foreign assistance programs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump has precipitated further service reductions for Myanmar refugees, resulting in the closure of hospital services within Thai camps where over 100,000 citizens are currently residing, as per accounts from activists and Thai authorities. A senior aid sector leader from Asia, who requested anonymity to discuss the issue candidly, described the U.S. as a pivotal contributor to Myanmar’s food security and livelihood sector, noting that last year, only about 40% of humanitarian requirements were met.
The leader mentioned that these recent cuts pose a dire threat by compelling NGOs to terminate numerous programs, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, including individuals with disabilities, women, and children. “The life-saving operations must persist,” she insisted, highlighting that halting activities could spell survival jeopardy for people reliant on aid. The current funding scarcity has compelled closures of programs deemed critical lifelines for many in Myanmar.
The nationwide conflict in Myanmar was incited after the military’s February 2021 coup, which dismantled the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and quelled pervasive nonviolent demonstrations seeking democratic restoration. According to Friday’s WFP statement, nearly one-third of Myanmar’s population, approximately 15.2 million individuals, cannot fulfill their fundamental dietary requirements, with around 2.3 million encountering severe hunger emergencies.
Despite these challenges, the WFP can only extend its aid to 35,000 of the most at-risk citizens, including children under five, pregnant and lactating women, and the disabled. “The foreseeable cuts will devastate Myanmar’s most vulnerable communities, many of which are entirely reliant on the WFP’s aid for survival,” emphasized Michael Dunford, the WFP’s Representative and Country Director in Myanmar. The WFP is adamant in supporting Myanmar’s citizens, yet immediate funding is critical to reach those in dire need.
The cutbacks are projected to affect nearly 100,000 internally displaced individuals, including Rohingya communities in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, who will be deprived of food access absent WFP support. The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim minority, have faced persistent persecution in the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Since August 2017, over 700,000 Rohingya have fled to refugee encampments in Bangladesh following a military crackdown triggered by insurgent activities.
While over 600,000 Rohingya remain confined to squalid camps within Myanmar, many others inhabit overcrowded shelters in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, violence has prompted increased displacement as clashes reignited when the Arakan Army, another insurgent group, engaged in new confrontations with Myanmar’s security entities.
