Myanmar Crisis Response Plan 2025

CRP last updated: December 16 2024
$90,426,835
Funding required
19,900,000
People in need
918,485
People Targeted
60
Entities targeted

IOM, in coordination with humanitarian and development partners, seeks to support people in Myanmar through the provision of essential and life-saving multi-sectoral assistance to crisis-affected populations, while building local capacities for response and recovery. Recognizing the complex mobility dynamics and cross-border implications of the crisis, IOM aims to provide data and analysis on mobility dynamics and needs of crisis-affected people to the wider humanitarian community and will continue to coordinate to ensure that preparedness actions and targeted response capacities are in place and strengthened. 

At IOM’s Mawlamyine clinic, a nurse checks a patient’s blood pressure, providing essential healthcare services to those in need. © IOM 2024

INFORM Risk 

Very high (7.2) 

INFORM Severity 

Very high (5) 

Human Development Index  

Medium (144 of 193)

Since the military takeover of February 2021, people in Myanmar have faced significant economic, political, climate-related and social crises and disasters, resulting in widespread and multifaceted needs across the humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding pillars. Displacement continues unabated, with an estimated 3,456,100 individuals displaced as of 14 October 2024 (UNHCR, 2024). Since the expansion of the conflict in October 2023, the number of displaced people has increased drastically, with over 1,452,000 individuals having been displaced between October 2023 and October 2024. Women and girls as well as those with different gender identities are particularly vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence and more likely to resort to negative coping mechanisms, increasing their vulnerability to violence, human trafficking, early or forced marriage, and sexual exploitation (OHCHR, 2024). The humanitarian situation on the ground is worsened by a severely restricted operating environment, with the movement of people and transportation of goods being heavily curtailed and interruptions to phone and internet services impacting operations. Humanitarian access continues to be impeded by several factors - including operational impediments; hard-to-reach rural, mountainous, or jungle areas where people are displaced to; and conflict-related insecurity leading to roadblocks, checkpoints and travel restrictions.

Protection risks are grave, with increasing risks of injuries due to explosive ordnance and greater risks of discrimination, exploitation, abuse, and gender-based violence (GBV), compounded by a breakdown of social structures and support systems as well as limited access to the legal system.

IOM is an active member of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and related humanitarian coordination mechanisms at the national level, as well as at the state and regional levels in the North-East, Rakhine, South-East and North-West. IOM engages with the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG) to coordinate inter-sectoral humanitarian response and recovery activities and participates in numerous humanitarian clusters and working groups at the national and sub-national levels. This coordination includes the Food Security, Shelter/Non-food Items/Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Health, and Protection Clusters, as well as relevant working groups, including the Child Protection Working Group. Further, IOM coordinates cash assistance closely with the Cash and Market Working Group, to ensure that approaches are harmonized whenever feasible and possible. As of September 2024, IOM has taken on the co-leadership of the Accountability to Affected Populations/Community Engagement Working Group to support coordination efforts in accountability to affected populations (AAP) across the country. IOM is also an active member of the Anticipatory Action and Emergency Preparedness Working Groups as well as the Nexus Working Group in the South-East, to coordinate activities related to climate action and disaster risk reduction as well as resilience and recovery related programming. Further, IOM is part of the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Network and works closely with Network members to strengthen PSEA awareness and SEA response in Myanmar, and participates actively in the Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group. 

IOM also coordinates activities through the UN Country Team (UNCT) and is an active contributor to the Transitional Cooperation Framework (TCF)  , advocating for the mainstreaming of migration and mobility considerations across response activities. In addition, IOM co-chairs the Human Trafficking Working Group with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), facilitating information-sharing and coordination of responses to human trafficking across the country, as well as a Cross-border Cooperation Mechanism on   Safe Migration between actors in Myanmar and Thailand.

IOM works closely across borders and at regional and sub-regional levels to ensure a coordinated response to the needs of mobile populations in Myanmar and to better understand mobility dynamics, including those of returning populations.

Internally, IOM coordinates closely with the IOM Thailand country office regarding issues affecting migrants and refugees from Myanmar and cross-border issues, as well as with the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok and Headquarters in Geneva.

IOM has been operational in Myanmar since 2005, with over 250 IOM staff members, over 300 staff under third-party contracts and more than 500 community-based volunteers. IOM has a country office in Yangon, a liaison office in Nay Pyi Taw, four sub-offices, one satellite office  and eight Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) across the country. Operational capacities and presence are further supported through long-established collaboration with a broad range of partners, including civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations (CBOs), private sector and ethnic health and welfare organizations.

All IOM staff are regularly trained and receive ongoing support in cross-cutting issues, including accountability to affected populations, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, protection and gender mainstreaming and thus have well developed capacity to meaningfully engage with communities, including those with diverse gender identities, women and girls.

IOM has long-standing experience across the humanitarian, development and peace pillars and been operational and providing either direct assistance or assistance through partners in Myanmar since 2005. IOM has recently been significantly expanding partnerships across the country to ensure that those most in need can be reached. IOM has been working in the South-East of Myanmar, including in hard-to-reach areas with ethnic minority populations near the Myanmar-Thai border. Further, the Organization has vast experience in providing support to internally displaced persons and affected communities in Rakhine state and has substantial presence in Yangon to respond to the needs of urban displaced populations and migrants in vulnerable situations. IOM can also draw on vast experience in disaster response, disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness and is thus well placed to address climate-related hazards and provide emergency support to those affected by the impact of natural disasters. Thus, while considering safety, security, and the duty of care to field teams and partners, and applying a conflict sensitivity lens to all activities, IOM is particularly well-positioned to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable conflict and disaster affected people, while at the same time considering durable solutions, community resilience and recovery as well as responding to the wide range of needs of mobile populations in the country.

With oversight from Headquarters, and technical input from the IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, IOM Myanmar manages project implementation from the Country Office in Yangon, leading on coordinating and liaising with key stakeholders, including implementing partners (IPs), NGOs/CSOs, donors, humanitarian and development as well as other relevant partners in country.

Key Operating Modalities
Participation and empowerment Conflict sensitivity Integrated Programming Collaboration and partnership Localization Cash-based interventions
Cross-cutting priorities
Data and evidence Protection Mainstreaming Gender Equality Prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse Disaster Risk Climate Change

As a Grand Bargain (GB) signatory, IOM is committed to the localization agenda and implements it in Myanmar by supporting a humanitarian response that works through local partnerships and provision of support and resources to national responders. This approach is particularly important in the Myanmar context, where local partners have significantly better access, the trust of affected communities and a better understanding of the rapidly changing operational environment, allowing them to apply conflict sensitivity approaches throughout their interventions. Through programmes that work primarily in partnership with local partners, IOM will continue to invest further in capacity strengthening of these organizations in technical and organizational development to promote a local response, in line with the HCT Myanmar Localization Strategy. In line with this strategy and IOM’s own priorities, IOM will also specifically prioritize the access of organizations of people with diverse genders and other identities to capacity strengthening and funding opportunities, ensuring that often marginalized community groups have access to resources and capacity sharing.

Objective 1 - Saving lives and protecting people on the move
Saving lives and protecting people on the move

$77,660,835
Funding required
894,150
People Targeted
60
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Local population / community

Under objective one, IOM will focus on alleviating suffering, while upholding the dignity and rights of conflict and disaster affected populations in Myanmar, irrespective of their sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity or disability, while at the same time contributing to the reduction of vulnerabilities and threats through humanitarian protection activities. As such, IOM will provide multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance, including shelter and non-food items, camp coordination and camp management support, mental health and psychosocial support, emergency health, protection and data collection and analysis, to support the most vulnerable individuals and communities in conflict and disaster-affected areas in line with the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for Myanmar. IOM will rapidly respond to emergencies and sudden displacement situations through the provision of life-saving assistance and support to empower and build capacity for in- country partners. Assistance will be provided directly as well as through engagement with local implementing partners and with meaningful consultation, active participation and diverse representation of community members, including with youth and women. Using a conflict sensitive approach, IOM particularly aims to support those who have been recently displaced, those who have been displaced multiple times and those who have yet to receive assistance through partnerships with local and national partners and direct implementation wherever feasible.

Objective 2 - Driving solutions to displacement
Driving solutions to displacement

$10,781,500
Funding required
133,920
People Targeted
35
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Local population / community
Internal migrant
International migrant

Under objective two, IOM will contribute to minimizing the adverse drivers and structural factors of displacement, fragility and conflict, promote recovery, self-reliance and resilience of affected communities, and support reintegration of returning populations, including through supporting the provision of essential services and the reestablishment of livelihoods. As such, IOM will support the social cohesion and resilience of crisis-affected mobile populations including IDPs, returnees, host communities and other vulnerable population groups, as well as migrants in vulnerable situations and the communities sending and/or receiving them, irrespective of their sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity or disability, including through the provision of disaster risk reduction, recovery and resilience programmes, supporting access to climate-resilient livelihoods, and providing MHPSS and protection services to those recovering from crises. In line with the UNTCF, IOM plans to provide multiple levels of support, at the structural, community and individual levels, applying IOM’s integrated approach to reintegration, to increase access to services, social cohesion and livelihoods. IOM plans to provide livelihoods assistance in various forms including vocational trainings and skills development, based on identified priorities and available value chains, particularly in locations with protracted displacement and/or where conflict dynamics are relatively stable.

Facilitating pathways for regular migration
Facilitating pathways for regular migration

$1,984,500
Funding required
52,500
People Targeted
15
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Internal migrant
International migrant
Local population / community

IOM will support the management of migration flows and cross-border mobility with measures to ensure well-being, including health, security and safety throughout the mobility continuum, through continuous support to MRCs, civil society, community-based migration and development groups, private sector partners and cross-border coordination mechanisms to ensure services and information are provided without disruption, in the absence of functioning state institutions at the moment. Migrants and other populations have been significantly affected by conflict, natural hazards and worsening socioeconomic situation, which has increased pressure to resort to unsafe migration. Despite the challenging country context, and as the situation allows, IOM will seek opportunities for partnerships and implementation of labour migration as a solution and alternative to irregular migration. In parallel, IOM will undertake activities to ensure that migrants are accepted into society, both as individuals and as a group, and protected from violence, exploitation and abuse, by continuing to build the resilience of communities to respond to increasing risks of smuggling, trafficking and exploitation, while supporting vulnerable mobile populations, who are often returning to situations of conflict and crisis, with safe return and reintegration support. Further, IOM will facilitate inter-agency referrals and coordination to ensure international migrants stranded or trafficked in Myanmar, specifically those trafficked for forced criminality in the scam centres, which have flourished due to conflict and insecurity, are detected and assisted in a timely manner, with immediate protection and return and reintegration services as appropriate to their specific needs.  Analyses and evidence-based advocacy materials will be developed based on IOM interventions, to promote better understanding of the specific situation and challenges of these migrants, and to help their reintegration in the societies of return. 

Objective 1
Saving lives and protecting people on the move
$77,660,835
Funding required
[{"name":"Human suffering is alleviated","y":50},{"name":"Threats and vulnerabilities are reduced","y":30},{"name":"The quality of humanitarian assistance is enhanced","y":20}]
Objective 2
Driving solutions to displacement
$10,781,500
Funding required
[{"name":"Adverse drivers of displacement are minimized","y":30},{"name":"Displaced people are resilient and self-reliant","y":50},{"name":"Displaced people benefit from solutions","y":20}]
Objective 3
Facilitating pathways for regular migration
$1,984,500
Funding required
[{"name":"Migration flows and cross-border mobility are well managed","y":60},{"name":"Migrants are protected from violence, exploitation and abuse","y":40}]

Percentage of funding required contributing to the long term outcomes expressed on IOM's Strategic Results Framework.

$4,306,135
Funding required
Related inter agency plans
H(N)RP UNTF

IOM implements protection mainstreaming across all sectors of intervention, and ensures that partners and teams on the ground have the capacity to identify and mitigate protection risks, identify, report, and refer protection incidents in a safe and ethical manner and assist those in need of protection services, in coordination with local networks, partners, communities and religious groups. IOM continually trains staff and partners on key concepts and principles of protection, GBV risk mitigation, PSEA, AAP, disability inclusion and codes of conduct. IOM also delivers capacity strengthening on relevant protection topics in the context of mobility and displacement, including safe and ethical referrals to specialized services in the case of a disclosure, the prevention of trafficking, exploitation and abuse in humanitarian settings, protection and assistance of people with specific needs, including the provision of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). Intersectional gender an

$4,306,135
Funding required
[["Saving lives",86],["Solutions to displacement",12],["Pathways for regular migration",2]]
Daw Than Mya cares for her livestock, which helps sustain her family’s livelihood, Mon State. © IOM 2024
Daw Than Mya cares for her livestock, which helps sustain her family’s livelihood, Mon State. © IOM 2024
Basic needs, including food and multi-purpose cash assistance
$24,050,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Water, sanitation and hygiene
$6,750,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Shelter and settlements
$8,100,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Camp coordination and camp management
$2,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Protection
$6,762,700 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP UNTF
Health
$25,290,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Mental health and psychosocial support
$2,250,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Community stabilization and community-driven development
$3,406,500 Funding required
Related inter agency plans UNTF
Livelihoods and economic recovery
$2,281,500 Funding required
Related inter agency plans UNTF
Disaster risk management
$1,080,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP UNTF
Data for action, insight and foresight
$3,150,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Support services for response actors
$1,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Operational presence in

Myanmar

14
International staff and affiliated work force
528
National staff and affiliated work force
9
IOM field office

 

The map used here is for illustration purposes only. Names and boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.

Figures are as of 31 December 2023. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.