November 2019
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2019 MHF – SA2: Allocation Strategy Paper | 1 Allocation Strategy Paper 2019: Second Standard Allocation DEADLINE: Sunday, 8 December 2019 (23:45 Yangon time) I. ALLOCATION OVERVIEW I.1. Introduction A total of US$6 million1 will be made available from the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund (MHF)2 under this Second Standard Allocation in 2019, to respond to essential humanitarian activities of displaced and host communities affected by protracted crisis in Myanmar. This MHF allocation will prioritize urgent life-saving activities in the most crisis-affected states across Myanmar, including Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States and the South-East part of Myanmar, in line with the 2019 Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). In addition, the food security sector has prioritized agriculture support for flood-affected farmers in Kachin and the South-East, seriously affected by monsoon rains in 2019. In this occasion, the allocation will exclude multisector interventions related to conflict- affected people in Chin State and south-eastern Myanmar, which are being supported by one-year projects through the First Standard Allocation, early this year. This strategy paper is the result of broad consultations with a wide range of stakeholders in October and November 2019, particularly clusters, sectors and working groups, with final recommendations made by the MHF Advisory Board (AB), and ultimately endorsed by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (HC/RC) on 20 November 2019. The prioritization process was focused on identifying the most urgent needs and gaps, complemented by an analysis of ongoing response by sector and geographic area. I.2. Humanitarian situation Protracted crises across Myanmar, mostly affecting Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, and Shan States and the south-east part of Myanmar continue to bring suffering to large numbers of civilians, who are affected by displacement and serious protection including direct exposure to armed conflict, violence and explosive hazards, movement restrictions, occupation of property, abduction and constrained access to humanitarian assistance. In Rakhine State, the situation remains deplorable for the Rohingya remaining since the mass exodus of more than 740,000 people to Bangladesh that commenced in August 2017. An estimated 598,000 stateless Rohingya remain in Rakhine State. Around 470,000 Rohingya and other members of the Muslim community are affected by severe restrictions on freedom of movement limiting their access to basic services and their ability to earn a living. Another 128,000 people, mainly Rohingya but also including 2,000 Kaman Muslims, remain confined in camps since sectarian violence displaced them in 2012. In addition, more than 100,000 civilians in seven townships have limited access to humanitarian and development assistance since new access and movement restrictions were imposed on humanitarian staff following the outbreak of conflict between the Myanmar Military and the Arakan Army (AA) in January 2019, with around 31,000 people displaced in 114 temporary sites as of October 2019. This situation also affected the neighboring Chin State, with around 1,500 people displaced in Paletwa Township. The most priority 1 Throughout 2019, as of 1 November, the MHF has received $16.6 million in contributions from nine donors (Australia, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America). 2 The Myanmar Humanitarian Fund (MHF) is an OCHA-managed country-based pooled fund (CBPF) led by the Humanitarian Coordinator to provide emergency response to urgent needs of people affected by natural disasters or conflict. Since 2007, the MHF has mobilized US$62 million from donors, providing life-saving assistance to 2.6 million people through 152 projects. More information is available at the CBPF Business Intelligence website: https://pfbi.unocha.org Myanmar Humanitarian Fund (MHF) http://www.unocha.org/myanmar/about-mhf 2019 MHF – SA2: Allocation Strategy Paper | 2 sectors of humanitarian intervention in Rakhine are emergency shelter, non-food items (NFIs) and camp coordination and camp management (CCCM); water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); and protection. In Kachin State, the intensity of the conflict has reduced significantly since August 2018 with no new displacement since July 2018. However, there has been no change to those in protracted displacement with 97,500 people (29,250 women; 24,375 men; 22,425 girls; 21,450 boys) remaining displaced, with over 38,000 of them located in areas controlled by ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), which have been inaccessible to the UN and most international partners since June 2016, but still reached by national partners, albeit with increasing challenges. The State Government and local NGOs have initiated some actions to provide durable solutions to displaced people, but these have been at a relatively small scale. Since 2016, some 3,500-displaced people have been able to voluntarily return to their homes or resettle in other locations, half of these have been returns to original homes. The most priority sectors of humanitarian intervention in Kachin are emergency shelter, NFIs and CCCM; food security; and protection. In Shan State, over 9,000 people (2,700 women; 2,160 men; 2070 girls; 2,070 boys) remain in situations of protracted displacement in 33 sites in northern Shan following the resumption of armed conflict in 2011. Sporadic outbreaks of conflict over the course of 2019 were reported to have caused the temporary displacement of more than 23,000 people. While most have been able to return to their homes within weeks, even short-term displacement of this nature can significantly disrupt wellbeing and livelihoods, and can be particularly traumatic for children. August and September saw increased levels of armed conflict and associated displacement in northern Shan; some 6,000 people were reported to have fled their homes during this period. The most priority sectors of humanitarian intervention in Shan are protection and health. In the South-East part of Myanmar, while 120,000 persons are estimated to be displaced, most of them are no longer considered to require humanitarian assistance except for over 11,400 people in displaced communities in Hpapun and Hlaingbwe townships, in Kayin State, and Kyaukkyi township in Bago Region, who remain of serious concern. The most priority sectors of humanitarian intervention in the South-East are food security for those affected by monsoon rains in 2019 and health, mostly for those people displaced, resettled or locally integrated living in hard-to-reach areas in Kayin State. II. ALLOCATION STRATEGY II.1. Purpose, Scope and Linkages with the Humanitarian Response Plan This Second Standard Allocation in 2019 will prioritize projects that are in line with the MHF Strategy for 2019,3 including its operating principles, ensuring the application of minimum humanitarian standards (depending on the local context), particularly in displacement sites, and preventing a worsening of the situation and increased vulnerability. The allocation follows the overarching goal of the 2019 HRP for Myanmar to ensure that the lives, dignity, well-being and rights of persons affected by conflict, natural disasters and other emergencies are protected.4 The present allocation will consider resilience and humanitarian-peacebuilding-development nexus issues in terms of linked up programmes, but strictly keeping the focus on the humanitarian action, which remain the core mandate of the MHF. The allocation aims to achieve one main objective: to respond to the critical unmet humanitarian needs of the displaced people and host communities resulting from the ongoing protracted crises across Myanmar, mostly in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States, and south-eastern Myanmar, and people affected by floods in Kachin and the south-east part of Myanmar. As mentioned above, it will exclude multisector interventions related to conflict- affected people in Chin State and south-eastern Myanmar, which are being supported by one-year projects through the First Standard Allocation, early this year. 3 See full document: “MHF Strategy for 2019”, Advisory Board, March 2019. 4 See full document: “2019 Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan”, Myanmar HCT, November 2018. Myanmar Humanitarian Fund (MHF) http://www.unocha.org/myanmar/about-mhf 2019 MHF – SA2: Allocation Strategy Paper | 3 In addition, the allocation will contribute to the operationalization of the HCT Protection Strategy (2019-2020) and other relevant guidance, with a singular attention to those approaches sensitive to age, gender and diversity, especially regarding disability inclusion. Disaggregated data will be collected from all the approved projects. In the case of activities in displacement sites in the central part of Rakhine State declared “closed’ by the Government, the HCT Operating Principles5 agreed in March 2019 on this issue will be fully considered. II.2. Allocation Breakdown Indicative Envelopes6 Priority TOTAL US$ Rakhine Kachin Shan South-East Shelter / NFIs / CCCM 1 1,200,000 700,000 500,000 Protection 1 1,100,000 400,000 400,000 300,000 Health 2 950,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 200,000 WASH 2 900,000 500,000 300,000 100,000 Food Security 2 800,000 500,000 300,000 EiE 3 550,000 250,000 200,000 100,000 Nutrition 3 500,000 300,000 200,000 TOTAL 6,000,000 2,450,000 2,350,000 700,000 500,000 II.3. Prioritization of Funding Envelopes The initial funding analysis per geographical area and sector facilitated the identification