Muslim Aid has begun delivering lifesaving aid to thousands of people displaced by ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
Muslim Aid’s Country Director in Myanmar, Nashar Uddin said;
“We’ve met hundreds of people – mostly women and children – who have fled insecurity and conflict in the north and are sheltering in the capital in Sittwe. We are scaling up our operations to provide vital food items to thousands of families who have been displaced but we urgently need the international community to dig deep to help meet the growing needs.”
Muslim Aid is scaling up its existing operations in Myanmar to provide people who have been displaced by conflict with vital food items as well as hygiene and sanitation kits to help people fulfil their basic needs.
In the northern state of Rakhine, tens of thousands remain largely cut off from humanitarian assistance. Latest figures from WFP reveal that the malnutrition rate is 19 per cent among children under the age of five in Maungdaw.
Muslim Aid’s Country Director Nashar Uddin added;
“Some aid has been slowly trickling into Maungdaw, but thousands remain cut off. Our main priority is to work with the government to ensure we can safely reach these families who have been without food, water or medicine for several weeks. We have plans in place to help more than 60, 000 people affected by the conflict in Maungdaw.”
According to the UN, more than half a million people have fled conflict in the northern state of Rakhine. This is in addition to the 470, 000 people who have been displaced by the recent monsoons.
Ends
For more information and to arrange interviews with spokespeople on the ground, please contact Sara Morad/sara.morad@muslimaid.org
Notes to editors
- Muslim Aid has been working in Myanmar since 2012 providing vital emergency and development support, including rebuilding homes and schools, providing clean water to thousands of people, and supporting women to improve their livelihoods.
