Food parcels in Myanmar

In February 2021, a military coup spiralled Myanmar into civil unrest, violence and insecurity. Unemployment and food prices rising, coupled with Covid-19, meant millions of people faced starvation. Families across Myanmar lived in fear as violence escalated. Many fled their homes. We knew that the work of Stand by Me was needed more than ever as millions faced abject poverty.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters for our Myanmar Appeal, our incredible staff in Myanmar were able to deliver food parcels to 2,654 families facing starvation. 

Our incredible staff in Myanmar put together food parcels that would sustain a family for around a month. They travelled to reach the most vulnerable and bring them life-saving emergency supplies. They took risks due to military imposed curfews, but it was worth it when they heard story after story of how these food parcels had given hope into a hopeless situation. Here are just a few of those stories.

Ja said:
"We are a family of 4. We all were suffering from covid. No neighbour nor friend visited. Everyone is afraid of the virus. Those days were the toughest days in my life. After a week me and my son survived but my husband and daughter died from covid. There is no medical care in the hospital. The doctors and the nurses ran away because of the military forces. I am so happy today to receive these foods. I thought I would starve. Your generosity has not only saved my life, but also gives metal strength to live on. Thank you so much."

Sei said:
“I am a student at Sophia Academy. This school educates me. Now this school feeds not only me but also my family. After the military forces came to power, we lived in the paddy field. We abandoned our house in the town because there was severe gun-fighting. I came to town and visited my school. When I got here my teacher gave me a food parcel. Two volunteers helped me carry it to the paddy field 4 miles from town. I am very happy to receive this food parcel. Thank you to my school that educates and feeds us.”

Sadly the crisis in Myanmar is far from over. The country is still in an unstable and fractured state. The needs surrounding our projects are still immense. Therefore we are continuing to deliver emergency aid to those who need it. To ensure our children can access education while the unrest continues, we have provided our homes around the country with resources to enable online learning, including tablets, headphones and internet connection. We will continue to do all we can to ensure our children have a bright and hopeful future. 

Thank you to everyone who kindly  donated to our Myanmar Appeal, you are helping bring hope where there was despair.