Emergency Response

Myanmar is susceptible to various natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, cyclones, droughts, fires, and tsunamis. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis significantly impacted the Delta region and certain urban areas in Yangon. 

More recently, Cyclone Mocha affected several townships in Rakhine State, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and agricultural lands in the Magway Region in May 2023. According to UNOCHA, Cyclone Mocha affected around 1.6 million people in Rakhine, Chin, Magway, Sagaing, and Kachin. Immediate assistance is required to provide food to vulnerable populations.

To address such emergencies, MHDO is developing an Emergency Response Preparedness Plan (ERPP) to be prepared for prompt response throughout the country. The ERPP’s primary objective is to mitigate the impact of disasters and prevent avoidable loss of life. It aims to ensure efficient and timely assistance through effective coordination and communication with partners and donor organizations involved in emergency preparedness and humanitarian response. The ERPP is being jointly developed with Malteser International as part of the “ToGether” project, which focuses on strengthening the capacity of local humanitarian partners.

MHDO has allocated 2 million MMKs for emergency response in the affected areas as of 2023. The Rakhine State and Magway Region, the two most affected areas, have undergone Rapid Needs Assessments (RNA) conducted by emergency response teams deployed to Sittwe in Rakhine State and Salin in the Magway Region.