The Republic of Korea and the World Food Programme have launched a $10 million emergency aid initiative to address record hunger levels in Myanmar. The REACH project will deliver food and cash assistance to 300,000 people affected by ongoing conflict and the devastating March 2025 earthquake, according to a press release from WFP. An additional 24,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and children will receive nutrition support.
Myanmar faces a deepening crisis as economic collapse compounds the effects of violence and displacement. Since early 2021, the cost of a basic food basket has quadrupled, making meals unaffordable for millions. The country now ranks fifth globally for severe hunger, with 16.7 million people facing acute food insecurity, up from 13.3 million in 2024.
The REACH initiative will provide two months of food and cash assistance to conflict and earthquake-affected communities. WFP will work with local partners and NGOs to reach the most vulnerable areas. The program aims to prevent and treat malnutrition while restoring critical assistance that was cut in April 2025 due to funding shortfalls affecting one million people.
The partnership reflects Korea’s transformation from aid recipient to donor, a point emphasized by WFP Country Director Michael Dunford, who noted Myanmar once sent rice aid to Korea decades ago. Korean Chargé d’Affaires Bae Byeongsoo expressed hope the contribution would build resilience and deliver hope to Myanmar’s people. With nearly one in three people now acutely food insecure, the funding addresses urgent needs in a country where 2.8 million struggle daily to find their next meal.