Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Department of Social Welfare (DSW), and Livelihoods and Food Security Fund LIFT have announced funding of USD9 million (approx. MMK12.6 billion) in social protection payments during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release. 

The support will be delivered to mothers of children under the age of two, pregnant women, and older people over the age of 85 who are beneficiaries of DSW’s two social protection programmes; the Maternal and Child Cash Transfer Programme and the Social Pension Programme. Each beneficiary will receive a one-off MMK30,000 cash payment and the disbursements will start later this week. The funding is provided by LIFT’s donors United Kingdom, the European Union, Switzerland, Australia, the United States of America, Canada and Ireland.
 
In line with the Government of Myanmar’s COVID-19 Coordinated Economic Relief Plan and in support of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement’s commitment to social protection, this cash support will help ease the direct impact on 400,000 people and indirect impact on nearly 2 million people across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Social Welfare’s Director General, Dr San San Aye, said: “Myanmar’s vision for social protection is an inclusive, equitable and sustainable system that facilitates access to essential social services, protects people from risks and shocks, addresses economic and social vulnerabilities and food insecurity, promotes economic opportunities and alleviates social exclusion, as per the Government of Myanmar’s National Social Protection Strategic Plan of 2014. In times of crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, we will build on and strengthen our outreach to Myanmar’s most vulnerable people. The cash transfers to mothers and older people are a symbol of this, and will be followed by further efforts as outlined in Goal 4 of the Government’s COVID-19 Coordinated Economic Relief Plan, in our effort to ease the impact on households.  

LIFT Fund Director Katy Webley said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge to Myanmar and its people, today and for the foreseeable future, as families struggle with food and health costs amid uncertain income. As can be seen around the world, cash assistance put in the hands of ordinary people is a fast, effective, empowering way of helping families to get through this crisis – and it helps build a fairer system for the future.”