One year after Myanmar earthquake: new global shocks threaten to push survivors back into hunger
ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½¡¯s latest monitoring shows a fragile recovery from the earthquake. In the affected regions of Sagaing and Mandalay, one in six households continue to face moderate to severe food insecurity. Half of all families remain only marginally food secure ¨C surviving day to day and unable to absorb even the smallest shock. That additional shock is now taking hold.
¡°People who survived the earthquake have barely begun to stand again, and now another blow is knocking them back down,¡± said Michael Dunford, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Country Director and Representative in Myanmar. ¡°This new wave of global instability is hitting Myanmar at the worst possible moment.¡±
The conflict in the Middle East is disrupting transportation and driving fuel shortages across Myanmar. Rising fuel prices are pushing up the cost of moving food and agricultural goods, placing additional strain on households already struggling to afford basic staples.
The crisis is also striking Myanmar¡¯s farmers as they prepare for monsoon crops. With fertilizer demand expected to rise over the next three months, fuel shortages and rising input costs are threatening to push production expenses to double last year¡¯s levels.
These compounding shocks are expected to hit hardest in conflict- and earthquake-affected areas, such as Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Rakhine, Sagaing and Shan, worsening the food insecurity in a country where 12.4 million people ¨C nearly one quarter of the population ¨C are already facing acute hunger.
Over the past year, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ reached half a million earthquake survivors with relief and recovery support. ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ has now transitioned from emergency relief to restoring community infrastructure that provides long-term stability.
ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ needs USD150 million in funding for 2026 to assist 1.5 million people across the country with life-saving assistance and resilience support. Without sufficient funding, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ will be forced to prioritize the most urgent life-saving needs, potentially scaling back recovery efforts that help earthquake survivors rebuild livelihoods and reduce long-term dependence on aid.
¡°The people of Myanmar have endured shock after shock ¨C conflict, climate disasters, the devastating earthquake, and now a global fuel crisis,¡± Mr. Dunford warned. ¡°We must stand with them now. One year after the earthquake, they cannot afford another fall.¡±
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The United Nations ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ 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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