WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by country | Page 406

Standard Project Report 2016
Country Context and WFP Objectives
Country Context
Myanmar is amidst an important political and socio-economic transformation, including the formation of the first
civilian government in early 2016 which has marked the beginning of a democratic transition. While expectations for
growth and development are high, the new Government is challenged by the impact of prolonged isolation,
economic sanctions, political unrest and a stalemated peace process. Myanmar remains one of the least developed
nations in the world with an estimated 37.5 percent [1] or 20 out of its 53 million population living below the poverty
line. The majority of the poor live in rural areas and rely primarily on agriculture and casual labour for their
livelihoods, while urban poverty is increasing in larger cities. WFP's food security assessments in the dry zone and
other parts of Myanmar indicate high levels of food insecurity, especially during the lean agricultural season. Most
people in the country struggle with physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to
meet their dietary needs. Women and girls are particularly affected as men are traditionally perceived as the heads
of household and primary decision-makers over resources, including food.
Without a full-fledged Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement and accelerated national reconciliation, ethnic conflicts and
inter-communal violence continue to exacerbate the already fragile situation in the country. The protracted state of
conflict and displacement prompts negative coping mechanisms, growing sexual violence and vulnerability to risky
migration practices, with women and girls from ethnic minorities at the highest risk. In Kachin, Rakhine, Shan and
other conflict-affected areas, hundreds of thousands of people remain internally displaced and food-insecure, mostly
relying on humanitarian assistance for their survival. Adverse conditions faced by civilians, particularly in Shan and
Kachin States, were compounded by increasing limits on humanitarian access, which intensified in the latter half of
2016. The country is also heavily susceptible to natural disasters, particularly cyclones and subsequent floods and
Myanmar, Union of (MM)
3
Single Country PRRO - 200299