Unlocking Humanitarian Access in Myanmar

In Myanmar’s Kayin and Shan States, millions of people are facing severe hardship due to protracted conflict, mass displacement, and the devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi. Over 2.8 million people are in need of critical aid, with 1.3 million in Shan facing food insecurity, and over 700,000 in Kayin lacking access to basic healthcare. The situation is worsening as flooding and damaged infrastructure continue to isolate communities from aid.

At the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Institute, we’re preparing to conduct humanitarian access assessments—on-the-ground evaluations with community based organisations that identify where and how we can deliver life-saving aid in these hard-to-reach areas. These assessments will help us pinpoint where the needs are greatest and how to overcome the logistical, security, and infrastructural barriers that prevent aid from getting through.

Why Humanitarian Access Assessments Are Critical

Humanitarian access assessments ensure that aid efforts are targeted and effective by answering key questions:

• Who needs aid the most?

• What barriers are preventing access?

• How can we overcome those barriers?

This is particularly critical in Myanmar, as it is amongst the most challenging environments on the planet to deliver aid, due to the ongoing civil war and constraints denying international NGO operations.

Our team has commenced these assessments and will be deploying to collect critical data, and also WASH aid supplies to provide immediate aid for 3000 vulnerable people with clean water. The assessments are crucial for ensuring that aid reaches those hardest to help. By identifying the roadblocks and coordinating efforts across organizations, we can ensure that food, water, medical supplies, and shelter get to where they are needed most.

What’s at Stake

In Kayin State:

• 850,000 people need aid.

• 338,000 people need clean water and sanitation.

• 543,000 people are food insecure.

• 711,000 people need healthcare.

In Shan State:

• 1.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

• 1.3 million people are food insecure.

• 273,000 people need clean water and sanitation.

These numbers reflect the scale of the crisis. With your help, we can conduct these access assessments and unlock aid for those who are currently unreachable.

How You Can Support

We’re asking for your support as we prepare to deploy in October to conduct these assessments. Here’s how you can make a difference:

1. Read our full blog post here: https://medium.com/@hadr-institute/unlocking-humanitarian-access-in-myanmar-how-subnational-assessments-can-transform-crisis-response-8a0562d29549

2. Donate: Your financial support will help fund the assessments and deliver aid to thousands of vulnerable people. You can donate here: https://www.hadrinstitute.org/humanitarian-operations

3. Spread the Word: Share this message with your network to raise awareness about the crisis in Myanmar and how humanitarian access assessments can unlock life-saving aid.

Every bit of support counts. Together, we can ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those most in need.

For more details, visit our website: www.hadri.org 

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to humanitarian action.