WASH in Emergencies
United Nations Children's Fund

Myanmar remains one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world with multiple ongoing conflicts and natural hazards in different parts of the country. Government emergency coordination mechanisms remain weak with many ministries functioning and responding to disasters independently without significant coordination with other ministries or civil society. Early warning systems need strengthening to better anticipate slow onset disasters such as drought and flood. Capacity of district and township level government staff and civil society actors needs to be strengthened to ensure that they can provide effective response in first stages of an emergency. Protracted emergencies has resulted in large numbers of internally displaced populations who require longer-term humanitarian support to maintain basic services. To address the key issues and challenges, priority actions will include: Training of government partners and ensuring they plan for sufficient resources and capacity to deliver rapid and effective humanitarian WASH responses in the event of a disaster and over long-term protracted crises. Functional and accountable coordination mechanisms need to be strengthened at national and sub-national levels. Depending upon the humanitarian situation and need, UNICEF Myanmar can provide cluster leadership at the request of the government. An advocacy strategy based on Core Commitment for Children (CCC) and humanitarian needs of the affected populations will be developed. Focus will be given to effective transitioning from protracted humanitarian to development approaches wherever feasible. UNICEF Myanmar will work through partnership with government and CSO partners for establishing operational emergency supply systems including prepositioning, SOPs and delivery of rapid and effective humanitarian response in the event of an emergency. The Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in Humanitarian Action remain the fundamental guiding principal to UNICEF humanitarian work and UNICEF Myanmar will advocate for resource mobilization to address humanitarian needs and ensure that core commitments for children in humanitarian situations are fully met.

By 2022, GoM and CSOs have increased capacities in emergency preparedness and service delivery to ensure girls, boys and women have access to safe and reliable WASH facilities in humanitarian situations

The vulnerable population in humanitarian situations