Emergency Food and Medical Assistance in Myanmar
Natural Disaster Relief
Peace Winds began providing assistance in Myanmar following Cyclone Nargis in May 2008 and has remained in the region providing support following the political unrest in 2011 and large-scale flooding in 2015.
In May 2023, Myanmar was hit by Cyclone Mocha which left hundreds dead and destroyed even more families’ homes. Peace Winds responded to the disaster by immediately assessing the damage and providing temporary shelter solutions, such as metal and wood sheets to patch roofs and floors, and essential supplies such as food packages, drinking water, blankets, and mosquito nets.
Support Following the 2021 Coup d’état
On February 1, 2021, the country’s military seized power in a coup d’état, giving rise to a state of emergency and serious repercussions for the lives of its citizens. Peace Winds began working with local aid groups in March 2021 to provide first aid kits and portable water purifiers for people forced to flee their homes in the face of ongoing violence.
Since November 2022, Peace Winds has been supporting Burmese refugee children at 65 schools in Thailand along the Myanmar border. Along with a local partner organization, Peace Winds is distributing food kits to the most vulnerable children and their families. The food packages contain 14 days worth of food for each family, including rice, oil, canned fish, beans, instant noodles, salt, and chili peppers.
Many doctors and nurses in Myanmar have supported the civil disobedience movement, resulting in attacks on medical workers by the country’s armed forces. This means that many pregnant women are unable to receive support for safe childbirth, leaving them and their newborns at risk. In November 2021, Peace Winds expanded the food assistance program in Yangon and began providing childbirth services to pregnant women there.
More than two years since the coup, the situation in Myanmar remains critical, and the need for humanitarian assistance increases daily. Peace Winds will remain in the region working with local nonprofits to provide food and medical support to families in need.
