Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025 / Part 3: Cluster Response Plan

3.7 WASH

"Water has become a struggle every day. We have to walk further to find clean water, and even then, it’s often not safe for my children."

– Amina, 34, a displaced mother of three in Rakhine.

Key figures

Severity of needs

PiN and target

Needs

It is estimated that more than 6.9 million people require urgent water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance in 2025, including approximately 1 million people who were directly impacted by severe flooding in 2024. The primary drivers of WASH needs are ongoing displacement, extensive flood damage, aftermath of Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and deteriorating access to safe water and sanitation due to inflation and market disruptions. According to the 2024 MSNA, 55 per cent of assessed IDP households reported sharing sanitation facilities with other households. Among them, 30 per cent were sharing with at least 5 households, including their own. Eighty per cent of assessed non-displaced stateless female respondents reported difficulties accessing menstrual materials, compared to 37 per cent of other crisis-affected female respondents. The most critical WASH needs are concentrated in Rakhine, categorized as severity level 5 , which indicates a collapse of WASH infrastructure, with non-functional or destroyed water and sanitation systems and no immediate prospects for repair or replacement. Ayeyarwady, Kayah, and Kayin are rated at severity level 4. Many other areas, such as eastern Bago, Chin, Kachin, Magway, Mandalay, Mon, Sagaing, and southern Shan are at severity level 3. These regions experience significant challenges in accessing safe drinking water, adequate sanitation facilities, and reliable hygiene services. Seasonal flooding has compounded these difficulties by disrupting WASH infrastructure, with access further restricted due to supply chain disruptions and inflated market prices. In remote border areas, IDPs and host communities face severe shortages of essential WASH items, often relying on costly imported goods from neighbouring countries. AWD and cholera are significant issues of concern, and a response is required for recurring outbreaks across multiple regions, including Kachin, Mon, Rakhine, and Yangon.

Response

In 2025, the WASH Cluster aims to reach 2.2 million people with critical WASH services. The prioritization focuses on populations categorized under severity levels 4 and 5, targeting those most acutely affected by displacement, AWD/cholera, and disasters such as flooding. Key groups include newly displaced persons, protracted IDPs, returnees, and non-displaced stateless people, especially in regions with high AWD/cholera transmission risks and severe constraints to access safe water. Compared to the 2024 HNRP, the 2025 strategy emphasizes a more targeted approach, concentrating efforts in Chin and Rakhine, which have seen worsened conditions due to conflict and extensive flooding, and expanding to Kachin, Sagaing, and other conflict- and flood-affected regions. The Cluster employs a mixed approach of cash and in-kind assistance to ensure flexibility and responsiveness. Cash-based interventions are utilized where market conditions allow, enabling beneficiaries to purchase WASH items locally, which supports market recovery and empowers affected communities with choice. In-kind support, such as water purification tablets, hygiene kits, and emergency water supply through water trucking, is prioritized for remote or isolated communities where market access is limited or disrupted by conflict and climatic disasters. In response to rising AWD and cholera risks, the Cluster is prioritizing access to clean water, water purification supplies, and improvement of sanitation facilities across high-risk regions. Emergency water solutions, such as water trucking and distribution of purification tablets, are being scaled up in flood-affected and disease-prone areas.

Monitoring

The WASH Cluster will track response progress through quarterly 4Ws, detailing partner activities and locations. To ensure data accuracy, reports from partners will be validated through independent field visits, adding a layer of accountability. Community feedback mechanisms will also be used, enabling ongoing adjustments based on affected populations' needs and priorities. To improve reporting accuracy, the WASH Cluster will provide targeted training for local partners, focusing on data collection, monitoring tools, and accountability practices. Workshops will standardize reporting methods, and remote training will be available for partners in high-risk areas, supporting consistent and comprehensive data collection across all regions.