Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 / Part 3: Sector Response Plan

3.5 Nutrition

“When aid doesn’t come, I can’t even feed the children what they need, let alone treat them when they fall sick. If they can’t give us rations, give us jobs so we can earn and eat. If not, it would be better to just die.”

— 35-year- old mother of six children living in a Rohingya camp on the outskirts of Sittwe.

People Targeted
677M
People Prioritized
266M
Requirements (US$)
55M
Prioritized Requirements (US$)
24M

People in need, targeted, prioritized and severity by location

Nutrition: Severity of needs, people in need, targeted and prioritized

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

Source OCHA

Needs

In 2026, 2.7 million people will need nutrition assistance, including 2.3 million children under five and 380,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW). Over 72,000 children risk death without therapeutic feeding for severe acute malnutrition (SAM), while 288,000 face increased mortality risk without targeted supplementary feeding for moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).

Key drivers include prolonged conflict, displacement, deteriorating food security, poor infant feeding practices, limited health and WASH access, and recurrent climate shocks. Acute malnutrition is most severe in Rakhine, Kachin, Kayin, Chin and Sagaing, where access constraints hinder early detection and treatment. Seasonal lean periods and displacement exacerbate wasting peaks during monsoon seasons.

The 2025 Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Analysis shows two townships in the critical phase and 157 in the alert phase, with projections of further deterioration, including one township classified as extremely critical. Urgent preparedness and early response are needed to prevent excess morbidity and mortality.

Response

In 2026, the Nutrition Cluster aims to reach 677,000 people across 167 townships with preventive and curative services. The Cluster will target prioritized children aged 6–59 months, PBW, children with disabilities and caregivers in high-burden, hard-to-reach areas, guided by needs severity analysis and subnational consultations. Compared to 2025, the 2026 response focuses on the highest-severity areas and life-saving treatment, reducing coverage in moderate-severity zones and broader preventive interventions.

Key interventions include treatment for 26,000 children with SAM and 76,000 with MAM, plus MAM management for 22,000 PBW. Screening will transition from mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC)-only to combined MUAC and Weight-for-Height/Z-score assessments for better case identification. Blanket supplementary feeding will reach 357,000 children and 57,000 PBW, complemented by micronutrient supplementation for 582,000 children and 94,000 PBW, and vitamin A for 87,000 children. Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) counselling will target 94,000 caregivers to promote breastfeeding and complementary feeding.

CVA will support dietary diversity and access to nutritious foods for 35,000 children with acute malnutrition and 8,200 PBW, complementing treatment and counselling. Additional activities include tracking PBW and persons with disabilities reached, monitoring PSEA training, and reporting male participation in IYCF sessions.

The Cluster collaborates with Food Security, Health, and WASH Cluster partners for integrated service delivery and referrals, using AWD risk mapping to prioritize high-risk townships. Localization remains central: 49 per cent of partners are national or community-based organizations, supported through capacity strengthening, joint planning and remote supervision. Protection measures, including GBV risk mitigation and EORE, are mainstreamed across all activities through safety screening, referral protocols and staff training.

Monitoring

Progress will be tracked through monthly Nutrition Information System reporting, using 3W data, ActivityInfo inputs and partner monitoring visits. Data validation will be conducted jointly by subnational coordinators and partners, then analysed and integrated into interactive dashboards shared with partners and published on the MIMU Nutrition Dashboard.

Biannual 4W data collection will produce infographics and maps showing partner presence, gaps and duplications, strengthening situational understanding and advocacy. To improve reporting quality, the Cluster will provide capacity-strengthening for local and national partners on data collection, indicator harmonization and digital reporting tools.

People in need, targeted and prioritized breakdown

People in Need

IDPs
346K
Returned IDPs
37K
Non-displaced stateless people
26K
Other shock-affected people with humanitarian needs
2.3M

People in Need by SAAD

People Targeted

IDPs
182K
Returned IDPs
15K
Non-displaced stateless people
15K
Other shock-affected people with humanitarian needs
465K

People targeted by Saad

People Prioritized

IDPs
106K
Returned IDPs
12K
Non-displaced stateless people
15K
Other shock-affected people with humanitarian needs
133K

People prioritized by SAAD