Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) has won a landslide victory in Myanmar’s first free elections in 25 years. When NLD assumes office early next year, it will face one of the longest running civil conflict in the world.
Despite the recent signing of a ceasefire between the Government and representatives of eight ethnic armed group, an estimated 1.8 million children are not covered by the agreement, especially those living in some areas of Kachin and northern Shan, where conflicts continue and prevent children from accessing basic services. UNICEF and the NGO Health Poverty Action work together to strengthen access to primary health care and nutrition interventions, such as infant and young child feeding support in areas that are hard to reach due to conflict, poor geographical access, and political constraints.
By Mariana Palavra
Kachin State, November 2015 - Lwan No was caught in the middle of the civil conflict in Kachin State, Northern Myanmar. “I could hear the planes bombing the area, the constant gun shots and mine explosions”, she recalls. This was in 2011, when the civil conflict broke out in Kachin.
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Lwan No got married in this IDP camp, after fleeing from the civil conflict three years ago. Now, she wants her five-month old baby to become a bright and successful businesswoman. ©UNICEF Myanmar/2015/Mariana Palavra
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