Delivering Food to Hundreds of Families Fleeing Violence in Myanmar
Skyrocketing fuel and fertilizer prices and cuts to foreign aid have led to food crises around the world, and families affected by the Myanmar civil war have been particularly hard hit. To help, Peace Winds and our local partners in Thailand provide food rations to more than 800 vulnerable people each month. These people are among the 5.4 million who have now been forced to flee their homes in Myanmar. Of them, 1.6 million evacuees are seeking refuge in other countries like Thailand.
After saying goodbye to their homes and, sadly, sometimes their loved ones, evacuees face a host of other challenges as they begin to rebuild life in a new country. They cannot legally be employed in Thailand, so many cannot meet their family’s basic needs. Fortunately, regulations are changing slowly, making it possible for some people to more easily earn a living. But for years, many have heavily depended–or still depend–on donated food. Drastic cuts to international humanitarian assistance over the past two years have significantly decreased access to this basic need.
The food packages that Peace Winds distributes contain staples like rice, beans, oil, canned fish or meat, and salt. In particular, we are working with our local partners to prioritize support for the most vulnerable families. These are often families with children and headed by women.
Fortunately, registered refugees who have been in Thai refugee camps for years were recently allowed to apply for work permission thanks to a change in Thai government regulations. But almost all of the families who fled from Myanmar to Thailand in recent years are unregistered and cannot obtain legal work or other official services, putting them in a precarious position.
Peace Winds is continuing to aid these families thanks to the help of several donors, including generous supporters like you. You can support this program by donating on this page or through our GlobalGiving project here.