The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution from the People's Republic of China to deliver emergency food assistance to 320,000 people in communities devastated by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar in March this year.
The funding will allow WFP to procure 4,900 metric tons of rice for one-month food ration to people across the hardest-hit areas - Sagaing, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Magway, Shan, and Bago. WFP will deliver this assistance directly to people in need, in coordination with local partners and non-governmental organizations.
Four months since the earthquake, the food security situation remains critical in the areas worst affected. According to the latest UN figures, more than 6.3 million people are in immediate need of humanitarian assistance in these areas and protection. Thousands remain internally displaced, sheltering in precarious conditions as monsoon rains intensify. Rapid assessments by WFP and Food and Agriculture Organization found that 38 percent of affected communities rely on humanitarian aid or informal support to meet their food needs.
"The earthquake struck a country that was already grappling with conflict, displacement, and deepening food insecurity," said Michael Dunford, WFP Representative and Country Director in Myanmar. "People's Republic of China took a frontline role in the immediate aftermath, providing lifesaving support when it was needed most. This latest contribution will help WFP reach families who have lost everything and are now enduring the added hardship of monsoon rains."
As WFP continues its earthquake response, sustained international support remains essential to address needs in earthquake-affected regions and across the country. Contributions like this from the People's Republic of China are critical to ensuring families do not face hunger as they work to recover and rebuild.
Photos of the hardest-hit areas and affected populations are available here.
