"Before, my family could only afford one meal a day at midday. Now, thanks to food assistance, my grandchildren can eat three meals a day like others."
– A displaced grandmother caring for four young grandchildren in Sagaing.
Key figures
Severity of needs
PiN and target
Needs
The food security crisis in Myanmar has reached unprecedented levels, with 15.2 million people facing acute food insecurity driven by escalating conflict, economic collapse and recurring disasters. The September 2024 Food Security & Nutrition Analysis highlighted significant populations in Phase 4 (Emergency)1, particularly in Chin, Kachin, Rakhine, and Sagaing. In total, 2.3 million people are classified as Phase 4, including IDPs, returnees, and stateless persons, though being displaced significantly increases the risk of being food insecure (4 per cent of non-IDPs versus 12 per cent of IDPs). The combined impact of violence and disasters, including extensive flooding in 2024 resulted in massive losses of food and seed stocks, productive assets, and animals. This severely disrupted food systems, agricultural production and livelihoods. Market disruptions have led to soaring food and inputs prices, while agricultural communities struggle to access farming inputs and land. The September 2024 Food Security & Nutrition Analysis also highlights that many households have to rely on crisis and emergency coping mechanisms (an average of more than 30 per cent), combined with low consumption of nutrient dense foods, especially among rural and conflict-affected households.
Response
The Cluster targets a total of 1.8 million people with emergency food assistance, life-saving food production assistance, and strengthened coordination and localization. A total of 1.6 million people in areas highly affected by conflict and disasters are targeted for emergency food assistance. This component prioritizes improving vulnerable households' physical and economic access to food. It uses a mixed modality of in-kind distributions and cash-based transfers, depending on market functionality and beneficiary preferences. The response emphasizes integrated programming with the Nutrition Cluster to harmonize food security and nutrition assistance. A minimum of three months of assistance is planned for all population groups, except for IDPs on-the-move, who will receive context-specific support. Life-saving food production assistance targets 400,000 people (200,000 will benefit from both types of assistance), focusing on protecting and improving food production capacity while promoting environmentally sustainable practices. The response will prioritize the urgent provision of agriculture and livestock inputs combined with training in climate-smart agriculture. Special attention will be given to IDPs, returnees, and stateless people to strengthen the impact of the response and decrease reliance on emergency coping strategies and in parallel reduce acute malnutrition among children and women.
The Cluster operates through one national and four sub-national coordination hubs, with increased emphasis on local NGO co-leadership as part of efforts to strengthen coordination and localization. The Cluster promotes quality programming through comprehensive accountability protocols, including feedback mechanisms that incorporate PSEA reporting and monitoring of gender, age, and disability inclusion. Regular partner orientation and coordination meetings, conducted in collaboration with the Protection Cluster and AAP/CE Working Group, ensure a consistent application of protection mainstreaming principles across the sector response.
Monitoring
Most output level indicators will be monitored through quarterly 5Ws collected by partners across operational areas, complemented by regular market monitoring. Cross-cutting indicators covering GBV, child protection, and accountability to affected people will be monitored through coordination and collaboration with respective clusters/AoRs to track progress of the response and its impact. Complaint and feedback mechanisms enable continuous engagement with affected populations, ensuring their voices inform programme adjustments.
Phase 4 – Emergency: People are facing extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition and disease levels are excessively high, and the risk of hunger-related death is rapidly increasing.