Humanitarian assistance to Myanmar

  • Media release

Today I announce that the Australian Government will provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.

Conflict has left more than 520,000 people in need of assistance in Myanmar, including over 210,000 people displaced in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine States. In addition, over 100,000 people displaced by conflict remain in refugee camps on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

Assistance of $16 million will provide education, health services, shelter and livelihood support for affected communities, as well as funding to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence.

Australia's support will be provided through humanitarian partners, including the United Nations and Australian NGOs.

Assistance provided in Rakhine State will support the implementation of recommendations from the interim report of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. The Advisory Commission was established by the Government of Myanmar to address Rakhine State's complex reconciliation and development challenges, and promote human rights and economic progress.

This funding is in addition to $2 million provided the World Food Programme to address urgent humanitarian needs in Rakhine state, and brings Australia's total humanitarian assistance to Myanmar to $18 million since July 2016.

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