For a long time, we thought Myanmar was exceptional, but finally Covid-19 has hit like a ton of bricks. Public health facilities, doctors, and nurses are overwhelmed and testing is rare, although the arrival of rapid tests is a game changer. Yangon is locked down at least until 21 October, with no flights until 31st. Many cannot work and so can’t feed their families. Predictions of WHO based on current trends indicate that infections will continue to peak until February. Myanmar Jesuit Mission is revising its planning for six months emergency response, with food and livelihood support in a few places. But can we offer more than a drop in the ocean?
For months it seemed Myanmar had escaped a health emergency. Even so the “hunger curve” couldn’t be flattened. With borders closed, the economy collapsed, supplies dried up, factories shut, and day labourers, over 70 per cent of the workforce, had no income. Jesuit social outreach teams joined local partners from April to August to bring staples to thousands of squatter families in Yangon, Taunggyi, and to people displaced by heartless conflicts in Kachin and southern Chin States.
Then for a time there was a lull; many got back to work. We switched to building livelihood for a few hundred of the poorest families – simple ways to pull themselves out of poverty – a cooperative for women heads of households who learnt how to sew; micro credit to help start a little business; carts for garbage collectors and sellers; a tiny capital loan to set up a vegetable stall or small street kitchen. We equipped schools, repaired wells, and helped build other community assets.
But in recent weeks a tidal wave of infection arose in Rakhine State, whence Rohingya were expelled, and where huge conflicts still rage. Warring parties ignored calls for ceasefire. The warring parties refused to heed calls for a ceasefire so that the common enemy, Covid-19, could be defeated. Instead villages are burned and thousands displaced. Because of this absurd violence the whole country is now at risk. Now Covid-19 is winning. The whole country is at risk. Virus transmissions race across Myanmar. Those in crowded slums are the most endangered.
Our social outreach teams, led by Fr Cyril Nay Myo Htet who was ordained last year, reverted to emergency planning. The agreement of WHO and the Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS) is that assistance should be budgeted at 60,000 Kyats a month per family. The Catholic Church has a three-month agreement in place with the government to offer food for 1,000 families. Delivery will be undertaken by township authorities. In addition to supporting the local Church plan we are also working with partners on the ground to reach 200 families to start with, bringing each household a food package of rice, garlic, onions, oil and salt, the staples. Access to the affected slum areas is not easy, but normally the township authorities are most helpful.
The Jesuit teams will continue the livelihood support where we can, those sewing are now commissioned to make masks for distribution in the slums. Microcredit is still distributed and the members of the cooperatives are eager to keep up their payments when they can. But now our priority is urgent help to the poorest.
There are spiritual needs too. The Church is mobilising and training people to be available as online counsellors to bring messages of hope and consolation to people who are isolated and afraid. The challenge is to work out how to reach out, to listen, and to acknowledge people’s fears.
The Jesuit communities in Yangon, Shan, and Kachin States are all safe, also stocked up on staples, and finding plenty to do. “Safety and solidarity” are our mottos at this time. Thanks to the internet and Zoom, we can keep in good touch with one another and appreciate our time together.
Mark Raper SJ from the Australian Province is the Superior of the Myanmar Jesuit Mission.