1,769 Children supported with food aid
12 Teachers were given educational materials
The Need: Myanmar (formerly Burma) had a military coup in February 2020. This together with Covid-19 has pushed Myanmar to the brink of disaster. In addition the widespread, long-running civil war has affected the general population and directly affects religious minorities such as the Christians and Rohingya, when they are targeted for attack by the different warring factions. There are thousands of internally displaced persons near the borders of China, Thailand, India and Bangladesh due to violent crackdowns on the civilian population. Due to the current unrest, many businesses have closed. Families lack food and other basic necessities.
Many pastors and religious clergy have been imprisoned for their faith leaving their families in poverty and vulnerable.
The Solution: urgent aid is needed in the displacement camps to support the religious minorities at risk. Families who have one or more parents in prison due to their faith need support and educational and nutritional support.
In February 2020, Myanmar military took over the country through a violent coup where all democratically elected members were arrested and imprisoned and all democratic institutions were dismantled. Since then, over a thousand people, mostly young peaceful protestors killed and many villages burned down, thousands of families are displaced and many being sheltered in churches. Kachin and Chin ethnic groups in Myanmar are majority Christians. They have been prosecuted even more than others because of their association with Christianity. 157pastors from these two communities have died of Covid 19 since the outbreak of Covid due to no access health services in their areas. Both these communities share thousands of people living in IDP camps in China-Myanmar border and India- Myanmar border respectively. Some of the Chin displaced people have managed to reach safety, and are being sheltered in 2 of their churches. Many of these victims are children of pastors and church leaders. The most urgent need at the moment is nutrition and education support for these children.
The situation is getting worst day by day as:
· Access to essential goods and basic services, have decrease significantly due to blockage and active frontlines
· There are new internal displacements, while communication and access is becoming more difficult
· COVID pandemic is hitting severely, with a limited capacity to provide COVID Health services, and treatments
· Humanitarian Food assistance has been block and reduced.
· There is an increase number of people living under poverty line and increased numbers of displacements
· Host communities are experiencing similar challenges as IDPs
· Access to Humanitarian assistance is restricted and only some local humanitarian actors are able to maintain a certain level of humanitarian assistance.
· Livelihoods opportunities are minimal, due to difficulties of access to China and limiting trading opportunities, and lack of stability for agricultural activities
Goal: To provide nutrition support to Christian minority children in IDP camps and in 2 churches; and Education support to children of pastors and leaders who died of Covid due to collapse of health systems
Beneficiaries: Children from 250 Households in IDP camps and 2 churches as they are being displaced due to political conflict. 74 Children of Pastors who died from Covid19 due to collapse of health care systems as a result of violent military coup
Your investment will support local communities experiencing high level of persecution with nutritional support, educational support and equipment.