Civil war and flooding exacerbate the humanitarian situation
Bonn/Berlin, March 28, 2025. Following the severe earthquakes in Myanmar, Welthungerhilfe (WHH) is expanding its humanitarian assistance in the hard-hit region around the city of Mandalay. As a first step, the organization is providing 108,000 USD (100,000 euros) in emergency aid for the victims of the earthquake.
"The extent of the damage is only gradually becoming visible. The quakes have destroyed houses, roads and bridges, and our office in Mandalay has also been damaged," says Henry Braun, Country Director of WHH in Yangon. "The earthquakes affect people who are already weakened: Just a few months ago, severe flooding inundated the region, and the civil war in the country has also intensified in recent months. The people are suffering from the fact that the markets are already difficult to reach and the electricity keeps failing."
WHH is considering expanding its existing support for people in need with food, cash and hygiene kits. "Local village committees, with whom we have been working for several years, will be of great importance. They know the local needs best and organize the first local aid," says Henry Braun.
For interview requests, Henry Braun, Country Director of Welthungerhilfe in Yangon (German-speaking), and Bettina Iseli, Head of Programs (in Germany) are available. Ms. Iseli just returned a few days ago from a visit to the affected region in Myanmar.
According to UN figures, 19.9 million people in Myanmar will be dependent on humanitarian assistance in 2025, which corresponds to more than a third of the population. 15.2 million people are food insecure. 3.5 million people have been displaced within the country. Myanmar ranks 74th out of 127 countries surveyed in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024. With a GHI score of 15.7, the overall level of hunger is "moderate", but a quarter of children under the age of five are considered to have stunted growth.
WHH has been active in Myanmar since 2002. According to preliminary figures, the organization invested 2.4 million euros in 2024 and reached more than 200,000 people in 16 projects.
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany; it is politically independent and non-denominational. With courage and determination, it is striving for a world without hunger. Since it was founded on December 14, 1962, 12,128 overseas projects in about 72 countries have been supported with 5.07 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe follows the principle of empowering people to help themselves to sustainably improve their living conditions, offering everything from fast disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.