CHIN STATE BACKGROUND Chin state is located in the north‐western part of Myanmar, bordering India and Bangladesh with 10 highland townships. The State consists of high mountains and deep valleys, and is one of the poorest and most isolated states in Myanmar. Only a few villages can be accessed by car during the rainy season, making transport of food and other commodities difficult and expensive. WFP FOOD PLUS CASH‐FOR‐WORK Chronic food insecurity is widespread in Chin. Lack of agricultural and ACTIVITIES IN CHIN STATE infrastructure investments and geographic isolation have been forcing WFP Field Office: 2 staff in Hakha villagers to rely on subsistence agriculture. Yet, the traditional slash and burn farming is depleting the bamboo forests and causing a Project Duration: January 2009 – June 2009 decline in crop yields. In average, cultivation of a few acres of land only produces just enough to feed a family of five or six members. Total Resources Received: US$ 708,000 DFID: US$600,000 External technical and financial assistance from International Denmark: US$ 108,000 Organizations and NGOs has been limited. While WFP and partners have been providing food assistance through Food‐for‐Work Fund Requested: ECHO: US$ 180,000 programme since 2005, the level of assistance from the humanitarian community has been a minimum. A majority of the poor farmers has Estimated Total been struggling, relying on local church networks to cope with the Number of Beneficiaries: 61,263 vagaries of food access, even before rats came to their forests. Total Tonnage: 1,452 mt
RODENT INFESTATIONS Chin State, already suffering from chronic food insecurity, has been beset by an infestation of rats in northern and western areas since late 2007. The rodents have been attracted to an indigenous variety of bamboo which flowers every 50 years. The rats feed on the fruit of the flowering bamboo and multiply rapidly. The infestation has caused the destruction of food grains and other food items, particularly in the areas where the bamboo grows abundantly. Estimated 70,000 people in 129 villages in 6 townships (Tonzang, Tiddim, Htantlang, Madupi, Paletwa and Hakha) have been severely affected by the rodent infestation. According to the study conducted by GRET in April 2008, 75% of crops have been destroyed by rats and 30% of villagers surveyed had left their fields after the rat infestation. In November 2008, a joint assessment team from WFP, WV, and KMSS found that villagers in Falam expected no crops to harvest in autumn. Farmers are reported to be struggling to meet day‐to‐day food needs, resorting to edibles gathered from the forests. In search of employment, many are migrating to border areas in India, placing an additional pressure on the precarious economic condition on the other side of the border. If requested ECHO contribution is received, WFP will carry out a food security assessment throughout Chin State in March 2009, in order to obtain an in‐depth understanding of the situation on the ground.
WFP FOOD PLUS CASH‐FOR‐WORK ASSISTANCE WFP and its Cooperating Partners have responded to the rat crisis by launching a “Food plus Cash for Work” programme in 6 townships. Food‐for‐Work is designed to increase community assets while providing livelihood opportunities to acquire food. The activities will focus on improving productive assets that will increase their food security, such as agriculture land development, construction of trafficable roads, as well as others identified by the communities themselves. The cash component is added to meet additional food needs. The cash earned will also help get out of debts for those who borrowed to endure the crisis. A total of 6,360 households in 50 villages in the project areas will benefit from the assistance. Project activities are scheduled to begin in mid‐January. Coordinating with UNDP who are implementing projects in the southern part of Chin Sate, WFP’s assistance focuses on the northern part of the state. Specifically, through 12 projects, WFP will develop 155 acres of terraced land in Tiddim, Falam, Hakha, and Htantlang Townships in collaboration with GRET, a total 15 miles of roads in Tonzang and Tiddim with KMSS, and 72 miles of road assets in Hakha and Htantlang with CAD. Each project will last 15‐45 days. The expanded terraced land is expected to support 1,898 households in 17 villages when completed, and the newly constructed roads will provide 28,972 villagers an increased access to 25 surrounding villages. The roads are expected to improve the communities’ food accessibility as well as access to water. Preparations are well underway. WFP has set up in Hakha a Field Office with 2 staff, under the support of Magway Sub‐ Office, implementing technical planning, distribution preparations, as well as advocacy efforts with local authorities. As of end‐December, about 136 mt of rice has been prepositioned in Hakha and Tiddim for food distribution in January, and additional 500 mt of rice is being purchased. Partners and community members are in the process of procuring non‐food items necessary for the projects including construction material and tools for land development.
RESOURCES As of January 2009, the Chin projects are resourced with US$ 708,000, generous contributions from DFID and Denmark. WFP has submitted a proposal to ECHO in order to support additional 7,500 beneficiaries with 203 tons of food, as well as to carry out the food security survey. Depending on the survey result, further funding may be needed. Total Township
Villages
Households
Beneficiaries
Total TM
8
830
5,032
76
38,100,000
KMSS
Tiddim
18
1,292
8,121
185
31,000,000
KMSS/GRET/WV
Falam
3
98
602
8
4,126,000
GRET
DFID
Hakha
9
726
7,387
140
4,750,000
GRET/CAD
DFID
Htantlang
47
6,109
26,558
636
7,727,000
GRET/CAD/UNDP
DFID
Paletwa
45
1,998
9,316
279
--
UNDP
DFID
Madupi
9
780
4,247
127
--
UNDP
DFID
139
11,833
61,263
1,452
Tonzang
Total
Total Kyats
Cooperating Partners
Donors DFID DFID/Denmark
85,703,000