MYANMAR CARE distributing humanitarian aid following outbreaks of violence

6 December 2012 -- CARE is responding to the humanitarian needs in Rakhine State, Myanmar, where more than 100,000 people have been left homeless following two outbreaks of violence between Rohingya and Rakhine groups.
Violence first broke out on 28 May, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency. The disturbance left 87 people dead, 120 injured and 5,000 houses damaged and uninhabitable. 

On 24 October renewed violence occurred in eight townships, leaving 89 people dead, 136 injured and more than 5,300 houses and eight religious buildings destroyed, and more than 32,000 people homeless.

Since June, CARE has been involved in inter-agency needs assessments with the Government, United Nations and other International aid organisations.

CARE is working with the Myanmar Government and local organisations to provide shelter for families whose homes were destroyed. CARE’s Strengthening Partnerships and Resilience of Communities (SPARC) program operates in 29 villages in the Maungdaw Township. In two of the villages where SPARC operates, all the houses were completely destroyed and the villagers relocated to temporary camps. With support from the Australian Government, CARE is proposing to reconstruct more than 125 houses in these two villages.

CARE has already provided blankets, clothes, mosquito nets, cooking equipment and personal items such as soap to 2,000 families living in temporary shelters in Sittwe.

CARE also provided 850 baskets of rice seed and 1,200 bags of fertiliser to people in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Sittwe and Rathedaung to help families’ plant crops during the rainy season, in time for the October harvest. 

CARE is providing support based on need, irrespective of their ethnicity or religion, and in the full respect of the humanitarian imperative and the humanitarian principles of impartiality and neutrality.

About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters. CARE has worked in northern Rakhine State and other States in Myanmar since 1995. CARE aims to improve the living standards of rural communities through health education, emphasising HIV prevention and nutritional support for children and pregnant mothers. CARE also provides micro-credit, and water and sanitation programs, as well as ensuring families have enough food for healthy and productive lives. Learn more about CARE's recent work in Myanmar here.