Why Myanmar?

Myanmar is one of the poorest nations in the world, suffering from decades of stagnation, mismanagement, and isolation.

“At least a third of all children are malnourished in this country and 132,000 children under five die every year because of avoidable diseases,” says Andrew Kirkwood of Save the Children.  ”[International] aid to this country is about $3 per person per year which puts it among the lowest three countries in the world.  I just think that’s inexcusable.”

Hardest hit are the young. Less than 50 per cent of children will complete five years of education.  They also suffer from a range of diseases including Aids and tuberculosis.

The malnourished are not only in the remote rural areas but also in the larger cities like Yangon.   In the slums of the former capital the smiles of the children playing in the dirt belie the hardships and daily battle for survival that goes on throughout the entire country.

Chris Kaye of the World Food Programme says abject poverty is a fact of life for millions across the country.  There is, he says, “a complete lack of access to basic social services whether its health facilities, or whether its water sanitation.

“We’re talking about rural communities in areas that are extremely remote. Roads are extremely poor and travel conditions are extremely hazardous.  The life that people lead in some of these communities is just extraordinary.”

The average household spends 70% of its income on food, and anecdotal evidence indicates that even the middle class is struggling just to survive.  Meanwhile, according to its own most recent budget, the regime annually spends $1.10 per citizen on education and 40¢ on healthcare, compared to $400 on each soldier. Two percent of pregnant women are HIV positive and 600,000 new cases of malaria and 97,000 cases of TB are documented annually.  In the rural areas, 66% of the children are malnourished and average schooling lasts only two to three years.

This calls out for our involvement.