Multi-Sectoral Life Saving Support for Conflicted People in Myanmar’s South-East Through the project “Multi-Sector Life Saving Support for Conflicted Affected People in Myanmar’s South-East”, Helvetas Myanmar and CareLink Youth Organization are proposing the delivery of multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance to support female and male members of conflict-affected communities in Mon and Kayin State. CareLink will hereby respond inter alia in the clusters WASH, Protection, Healthcare, and Food Security. 

The project's target region is constituted of the adjoining townships Bilin, Thaton and Hpa Pun, of Mon and Kayin states which had been affected by armed clashes between the Tatmadaw and Karen ethnic armed organizations. Thousands of people were forced to flee, including people from rural villages in Hpa Pun, Billin and Thaton townships of Mon and Kayin States. With community members from 16 conflict affected villages by displacement, the Rapid Needs Assessment has been conducted by the local partner organization CareLink Youth Organization in collaboration with Helvetas at the end of July 2022. 

As part of the project, the basic needs of displaced and host community members are to be addressed in the following sectors/clusters: (1) Food Security, (2) Shelter/NFI, (3) WASH, (4) Protection and (5) Health. As a locally well-grounded and established actor, CareLink Youth Organization will ensure during the project local ownership, alignment with local needs and a secure and sound distribution system. With a long present in Southeast of Helvetas Myanmar and its local partner CareLink Youth Organization have a solid understanding and are monitoring real-time information on local conflict dynamics in the target area following the Do No Harm framework. The implementing partners are committed to implementing the project reflective of the needs of all gender groups and particularly vulnerable community members (e.g., pregnant, or lactating women, older age groups). A total of 11,550 IDPs will be benefited the humanitarian assistances. Among them, overall, 54% of the beneficiaries are female. Each township female beneficiaries are, 55% in Hpapun, 54% in Bilin and 51% in Thaton respectively. The project well ensure that the different hygiene needs e.g., of female community members of different age groups are met through close community consultations and through locally recruited camp-based volunteers from different gender and age groups. Cash-based assistance is not possible due to the ongoing banking crisis and market accessibility hindrances amidst the tense security situation.

With MHF funding, Helvetas has till the moment provided humanitarian aid to 3,614 IDPs (male 885, female 922, boys 867 and girls 940) in Kyaithto and Billin Townships since July 2021 and the project is to end on 14 August 2022. Helvetas had also fulfilled support gaps for 1.5 months for newly displaced 1,685 IDPs (male 501, female 984, boys 88 and girls 112) in Bilin Township in early 2022. And also Helvetas is distributed on month food distribution for 11,058 IDPs (Male 3315, female 3983, boys 1421 and girls 2339) in 12 new IDP camps in Bilin township with additional funds from MHF.