By Vijian Paramasivam
PHNOM PENH, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- ASEAN continues to demonstrate its humanitarian support for Myanmar by mobilising rice supply to fortify the Southeast nation’s food security following the catastrophic earthquake in March.
The ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), an ASEAN initiative, has pledged 3,275 metric tonnes (MT) of rice to Myanmar to ensure a sufficient food supply for approximately 55 million people.
The Bangkok-based organisation said under the multilateral arrangement, South Korea donated 3,000 MT of rice, and China contributed 275 MT.
“Myanmar has self-sufficient food security, but during natural disasters, Myanmar needs humanitarian assistance and sympathy from outside.
“APTERR closely collaborates with the DOA (Department of Agriculture) to enhance food security and resilience amid the growing challenges posed by natural disasters and climate change,” APTERR General Manager Dr Choomjet Karnjanakesorn told Bernama.
The handover ceremony took place in Nay Pyi Taw on December 11.
The ASEAN-led APTERR is a regional food security mechanism established among the 10-member countries and supported by China, Japan and South Korea, to reduce poverty and malnutrition in the region.
About 3,800 people lost their lives while nearly 5,000 were injured as a result of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, according to government agencies.
Six regions and states, home to 28 million people, namely Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, Shan, Nay Pyi Taw and Bago, were badly hit by the natural disaster.
Immediately after the March catastrophe, APTERR dispatched 3,500MT of pre-positioned rice stocks to support Myanmar.
“Emergency preparedness and early warning systems are important to ensure timely and effective response to increasingly frequent disasters. “The people in Shan State affected by the earthquake are still not back to their normal livelihoods, and many houses are not fully repaired,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
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