Navigating Hope Amidst Turmoil: Support for Communities in Myanmar

Since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar has faced an escalating humanitarian crisis. Millions are in desperate need due to ongoing conflicts that have led to mass displacement, severe food shortages, and widespread human rights violations. The environment remains fraught with hazards such as landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs), endangering civilians in contested areas. Alongside this, there are regular humanitarian law breaches such as attacks on schools and medical centers, causing grave protection risks. Despite immense challenges, local aid workers and international organisations have persisted, finding ways to provide critical assistance amidst complex access constraints.

Our Mission at the HADR Institute

Founded in Brisbane in 2022, the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Institute is committed to providing humanitarian organisations with technical and logistical support. Specialising in predictive forecasting, Multi-Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MiRA), humanitarian risk management and capacity strengthening, our work aims to facilitate effective aid delivery through strong local partnerships.

Building Partnerships

Our initiatives are made possible through collaborations with valued partners:

• Airlink – A global humanitarian organisation enabling our travel and logistics.

• Anywise – Supporting our mission through critical donations, empowering our remote analytical and deployment capabilities.

• Safe Water for Every Child - Myanmar – A key community-based partner, supporting our water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives.

• Disaster Aid Thailand – Enabling smooth aid delivery in response to recent crises like Typhoon Yagi.

Programme Goals and Progress

1. Aid Delivery
   Objective: Deliver WASH supplies to affected communities in Myanmar.
   Progress: Established a reliable supply chain, successfully delivering aid to remote communities in Karen State, and expanding operations to Kayah State.
   Challenges: Limited humanitarian access, safety risks for workers, and logistical barriers due to ongoing hostilities and hazardous environments.
   

2. Anticipatory Forecasting for Myanmar
   Objective: Create forecasts for relief supplies to enable proactive procurement.
   Progress: Developed a preliminary predictive model to anticipate humanitarian needs.
   Challenges: Limited data and rapidly changing conditions require constant adaptation of the model.
   

3. Humanitarian Access Assessments
   Objective: Identify safe, effective methods for aid delivery in Myanmar.
   Progress: Conducted fact-finding missions and drafted an initial report on humanitarian access barriers in Karen State. Our access database now covers Karen and parts of Shan State, with plans to extend further.
   Challenges: Complex access restrictions, limited data, and security measures affecting local information-sharing.
   

4. Community Organisation Capacity Assessments
   Objective: Evaluate local organisations to understand their capabilities in reaching affected communities.
   Progress: Conducted capacity assessments in Karen State to gauge local abilities amid access constraints.
   Challenges: Ensuring the security of local partners operating in high-risk conditions and scaling efforts despite resource limitations.
   

5. Protection Risk Anticipatory Forecasting
   Objective: Develop models to predict when communities may be at risk of human rights abuses.
   Progress: Initiated framework design for protection risk forecasting to inform local prevention efforts.
   Challenges: Sensitive information handling and data gaps hinder the comprehensive collection of relevant data.

Responding to Typhoon Yagi

The devastation from Typhoon Yagi in September 2024 emphasised the urgent need for aid. Our response included:

• Aid Delivery – Collaborated with Safe Water for Every Child - Myanmar to provide water filters to flood-affected communities.

• Humanitarian Access Data Collection – Conducted assessments in Karen State, focusing on movement restrictions and interference with aid.

• WASH Training – Participated in training facilitated by CAWST and Safe Water for Every Child - Myanmar, supporting community capacity strengthening activities to maintain clean water access while developing HADR Institute's own skill set by qualifying multiple members.
  

Our Impact on the Ground

A key accomplishment has been the establishment of a supply chain capable of delivering aid to remote areas in Karen and Kayah states. This achievement was made possible through partnerships with Airlink, Anywise, Safe Water for Every Child, and Disaster Aid Thailand, all of whom contribute invaluable support to our mission.

We continue to expand these partnerships to address the needs of vulnerable communities, aiming to enhance coordination, information access, and capacity-building.

Reflections and the Road Ahead

Supporting Myanmar’s affected communities has been both challenging and rewarding, underscoring the need to overcome access barriers for effective aid delivery. Key lessons include:

• Community Resilience: The determination of communities in Myanmar inspires our ongoing efforts.

• Collaborative Efforts: Partnerships amplify our impact and help overcome significant challenges.

• Strategic Preparedness: Forecasting models and anticipatory action planning enhance our ability to meet emergent needs effectively.

How You Can Help

Your support through donations is crucial for us to continue our mission. Contributions help us reach remote communities, enhance forecasting capabilities, and strengthen local partners facing significant access constraints.

Donate Here: HADR Institute Donation Page

For partnership enquiries, please contact:

Mitch King
Email: [email protected]

Or contact [email protected] 

Closing Thoughts

Myanmar’s story is one of resilience amidst adversity. At the HADR Institute, we are honoured to support these communities on their journey toward recovery and hope. By addressing humanitarian access challenges, we believe in a future where every community has the resources needed to thrive.

Special Acknowledgements:
Our heartfelt thanks to our partners who make this mission possible: Airlink, Anywise, Safe Water for Every Child - Myanmar, and Disaster Aid Thailand.

For more information, visit our website or reach out directly.

Note: For security reasons, specific details about individuals and some organisations have been omitted.