UK aid protecting women from trafficking in Burma – and helping them into jobs

On her first visit to Burma, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt called for the most vulnerable to be given a say in their country’s future after shifting the work of UK aid there to help disadvantaged and conflict-affected people.

Across the country, UK aid is providing life-saving humanitarian assistance in conflicted affected areas, and helping provide the healthcare, education and livelihood opportunities needed to build a more democratic, safe, and prosperous country.

UK aid is also providing life-sustaining humanitarian assistance to many of the Rohingya in Rakhine State, as well as to almost one million Rohingya refugees in neighboring Bangladesh.

This visit follows the terrible violence in Rakhine in August 2017 when the British public donated incredibly generously towards the Rohingya crisis through the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Appeal, raising £28 million, including £5 million matched pound-for-pound by the UK government.

“I believe the British people want human rights to be at the heart of the work we do and for UK aid to be delivered in the smartest way possible. The British public showed tremendous compassion for the Rohingya and it’s clear to me that protecting those who are still here and supporting them to live side-by-side and in peace in their communities is what we should be focusing on here in Burma,” said International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt. 

Almost 16 million people live in extreme poverty in Burma and one in every three children in Burma is malnourished.

Children who receive the right nutrition in their first 1,000 days complete more grades at school, earn up to 21% more as adults and are 10 times less likely to die of childhood diseases.

Poor nutrition is linked to 45% of child deaths and losses of up to 11% of GDP. DFID Burma is improving the nutrition of the poorest people. This is one of the best development interventions that can be made – with every US$1 giving a return of US$16 from health and education outcomes.

Original source: DFID
Published on 18 February 2019