Myanmar’s Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus are cooperating to provide support to people who are struggling to feed themselves and their families following months of political turmoil.
The country was plunged into political upheaval following the army seizing power before the newly elected parliament was able to meet on February 1, sparking daily protests against military rule and a nationwide civil disobedience movement (Sunday Examiner, February 7).
Nuns from the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition (SJA) are leading an interfaith group giving aid to 300 needy families in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.
The group provides staples like rice, cooking oil, salt and onions thanks to generous contributions from the Myanmese Catholic community in Norway.
The SJA nuns have also given moral and material support to people who were affected by a fire while they mourned with the families for those killed by security forces in pro-democracy protests.
The nuns have also led prayer services for peace and joining people marching in the streets, saying the rosary while providing food and drinks to anti-coup protesters.
The Catholic Church in the country gained world attention through the inspiring witness of Sister Ann Rosa Nu Tawng, from Kachin state, courageously confronted security forces in February and March (Sunday Examiner, March 7).
Charles Cardinal Bo of Yangon, hailed Sister Nu’s example of faith, which inspired many and led to a greater appreciation of the Catholic Church and the life of a religious.
Charles Cardinal Bo of Yangon, hailed Sister Nu’s example of faith, which inspired many and led to a greater appreciation of the Catholic Church and the life of a religious.
“Out of darkness, simple acts of generosity shine with great power,” Cardinal Bo said in a Divine Mercy Sunday message.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned that food insecurity has risen sharply in Myanmar since the military coup and millions more people will go hungry in coming months.
WFP estimates that up to 3.4 million more people will go hungry, particularly those in urban areas, within the next six months.
“More and more poor people have lost their jobs and are unable to afford food,” country director, Stephen Anderson, said in a statement on April 22.
“A concerted response is required now to alleviate immediate suffering and to prevent an alarming deterioration in food security,” he said.
WFP said the rice price has increased by five per cent in Yangon and across the country since January and the price of cooking oil has increased by 18 per cent since February.
Prices are also on the rise in border states including Rakhine, Chin and Kachin. In Kachin, rice prices are up by as much as 43 per cent in some townships and cooking oil by 32 per cent. The price of fuel has increased by roughly 30 per cent nationwide, according to WFP.
There are signs families in and around Yangon are being pushed to the edge, skipping meals, eating less nutritious food and going into debt just to survive.
The WFP has planned to nearly triple its support from 1.3 million to 3.3 million people and urgently needs US$106 million ($822 million).
Since the coup, the military has unleashed a wave of terror against peaceful protesters and other unarmed bystanders that has claimed more than 700 lives including dozens of children.
After nearly three months, the military is still struggling to control the country. The banking system has come to a standstill, factories are closed, investments halted and the bureaucracy is not functioning, including hospitals, railways and education, because of many civil servants’ participation in the civil disobedience movement.
