08/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/26/2024 07:34
An estimated 500,000 people are living in areas exposed to flooding in Ayeyarwady. Over the coming days, WFP plans to assist 35,000 flood-affected people in evacuation centres with rice and fortified biscuits. This assistance will be coupled with nutrition support for mothers and children to prevent acute malnutrition.
"Known to be the rice bowl of Myanmar, Ayeyarwady is highly susceptible to climate events like floods. Recent flooding threatens to significantly reduce monsoon rice yields. This would jeopardize the food security of the most vulnerable people, especially smallholder farmers. And the impacts are likely to be felt not just in Ayeyarwady but more broadly across Myanmar. WFP is taking swift action to help mitigate potential food shortages," said Sheela Matthew, WFP Representative in Myanmar.
Even before the flooding, a quarter of the population in Ayeyarwady - 1.5 million people - were estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2024.
WFP Myanmar flood response update:
Photos are available in this link.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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