Memorandum submitted by Save the Children
(Burma)
1. Save the Children started operations
in Burma in 1995. We now employ approximately 450 Burmese staff
and 5 expatriate staff in Burma. The programme is managed from
a central office in Rangoon where 45 staff are based, the bulk
of our staff work in the field in 30 locations around the country—including
11 townships in South-eastern Burma.
2. Save the Children runs the following
programmes in Burma: child protection/anti-trafficking; early
childhood care and development (ECCD); health (including: child
survival, environmental health, reproductive health); livelihood
opportunities; HIV and AIDS; and nutrition. Our work is in: Karen
State, Mon State, Tenasserim Division, Southern Shan State, Northern
Shan State, Sagaing Division, Mandalay Division, Magwe Division,
Pegu Division, Irrawaddy Division and Rangoon Division.
3. Save the Children is running its community-based
early childhood care and development work in Hlaing Bwe and Kawkareik
townships in Karen State. This covers approximately 40 villages.
It is funded by DFID—as is our ECCD work in northern and
southern Shan State, Sagaing Division and Magwe Division.
4. Save the Children is running its child
protection/anti-trafficking programme in: Hlaing Bwe, Kawkareik,
Hpa-an, Kya Inn Seik Kyi townships in Karen State; and Thaton,
Paung, Chaung Sone, Mudon, Kyaik Ma Yaw townships in Mon State.
This is funded by DFID—as is similar work in Northern Shan
State. We also run some HIV work in all the same townships but
this is not funded by DFID.
5. Save the Children runs a nutrition programme
in Hpa-an township, Karen State; and ECCD and reproductive health
programmes in Laung Lone township, Tenasserim Division. These
are not funded by DFID.
6. In all of these areas in South-eastern
Burma we have so far been able to operate freely and select villages
to work in against poverty and need criteria that we define, and
in discussion with community members. Despite the challenging
and complex political and economic environment, our experience
has shown that it is possible to make progress in specific areas.
7. Although in our programmes in south-eastern
Burma we do not currently count those community members who could
be classed as IDPs, we know that there are some in almost all
the villages we are working in. In all the areas we are working
in, especially those in Karen State, we are working with people
affected by conflict. They need access to health care, support
to livelihoods, access to education, water & sanitation, protection
etc. We can help to meet these needs and could of course do more
if funds permitted.
8. There are parts of Karen State where
conflict is ongoing, and where the needs of the population are
reported to be very severe, that we are not currently working
in, and almost certainly could not work in. It is estimated that
the affected population would be approximately 100,000. Apart
from this we have not faced limitations in the areas we can access
and work in.
9 The humanitarian and development needs
across much of the country are very significant. Evidence from
various parts of the country indicate that large segments of the
population are caught in deep-rooted, structural poverty, and
that the situation for many families is worsening. While these
problems are endemic in the country, they are particularly acute
in border areas, and in the central "dry zone" of the
country (where seasonal food insecurity is highest). There is
also some internal migration to Mon State (from the central `dry
zone') and these migrants face many of the same problems as IDPs.
10. Across the country there are very significant
movements of people cross-border (to Thailand, China and Malaysia)
and also within Burma for various reasons. Some of this is internal
migration from the central "dry zone" to Mon State and
Tenasserim Division for work. There are no signs that the level
of people movement will diminish.
11. In summary—Save the Children believes
there is a massive humanitarian need to respond to in Burma. IDPs
form part of the population in need of urgent help—many,
but not all, of these people can be helped by organizations and
groups operating within Burma, if adequately funded. There are
also massive needs to respond to in areas of the country away
from the Thai-Burma border. More humanitarian and development
assistance is needed for the country as a whole as a matter of
urgency.
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