Humanitarian Response and Donor Funding in Myanmar

05 April 2017

An estimated $150 million is required to meet the needs of half a million people in Myanmar throughout the year, as identified by the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan 2017. The requested funding is down from $189.5 million in 2016, which was needed to support one million people, illustrates the AIDF infographic [click here to view].

Only 63% of the required funds were raised, most of which have been allocated to programmes run by UN agencies and NGOs in three of the Myanmar’s most troubled states, Kachin, Rakhine and Shan. The regions account for the majority of the vulnerable people, 474,200 in total, who lack access to services as a result of conflict, displacement or restrictions on their movement.

Amongst the priorities that failed to be fully financed in Myanmar, health and education clusters stand out the most, with 88% and 78% of initiatives not reaching their funding target. An estimated 474,000 people in Myanmar do not have access to healthcare services, largely due to logistical and security constraints. There is an urgent need to strengthen health care facilities and provision of medical supplies, especially for the internally displaced and conflict affected population.

Japan and the USA were two largest donors with contributions of $28.5 million and $27 million in 2016 respectively. Germany, the UK, ECHO, Switzerland and Australia have also made notable contributions. A quarter of the $4.3 million funding target by the UN OCHA in Myanmar has been met, with 42% coming from the European Commission (DG-ECHO), 38% from the USAID/OFDA and 20% Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).

Hear more about funding priorities and healthcare programmes in Myanmar and Southeast Asia from Dr Tobe Makoto, Senior Advisor, Health Financing and Health Systems at Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mark Cutts, Head of Office at UNOCHA and George Dura from European Union Delegation to Myanmar, who will speak at the Aid & Development Asia Summit 2017 in Nay Pyi Taw on 14-15 June.

The two day summit includes roundtable discussions, speaker panels and presentations from country directors, procurement, grants and health funding experts. Some of the speakers include:

• Peter Batchelor, Country Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Vikram Kumar, Country Manager, International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group
• Dr. Aye Yu Soe, Senior Public Health Officer, Three Millennium Development Goal (3MDG), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
• Riyzal Bahdari, Senior Regional Grants and Procurement Manager, RTI Asia Regional Office
• Jeremy Kruse, Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT)
• Niiara Abliamitova, Chief Procurement Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP)
• Moe Thu, Associate Director, Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs, Myanmar, World Vision
• Dr Sid Naing, Country Director, Myanmar, Marie Stopes International (MSI)
• Richard Harrison, Country Director, Pact Global Microfinance Fund

To view detailed agenda, please visit http://asia.aidforum.org/agenda/

To register your participation, click here http://asia.aidforum.org/register/