Approximately 400,000 people in 423 informal settlements find themselves at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. Given the unique vulnerabilities of these settlements including high density, deficient access to water, and insecure tenure, UN-Habitat has engaged with community leaders and grassroots civil society organizations in five townships in Yangon to amplify efforts to combat ...

The COVID-19 health pandemic has been accompanied by an infodemic of misinformation and false cures. To increase access to accurate prevention measures against COVID-19 in informal settlements, UN-Habitat has formed a team of 61 trained community volunteers in five townships of Yangon (Hlaingthayar, Shwepyitha, Dala, South Dagon, and Dagon Seikkan). The team of volunteers reached ...

Fever clinics and public hospitals have been at the center of Myanmar’s public health efforts to combat COVID-19. Set up specifically in response to the threat of COVID-19, fever clinics work towards early identification of symptoms of COVID-19. At present, fever clinics operate in 17 townships in Yangon and have been the first port of ...

Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar, 2 June 2020 – As part of COVID-19 prevention activities, UN-Habitat installed 27 hand-free handwashing facilities in key locations including markets and bus stations in western Myanmar. UN Habitat’s work in Rakhine State is funded by the Government of Japan and the work was undertaken with the support and co-contribution of ...

U Thant Zaw Oo lives in an informal settlement in Hlaingthayar township. His family of six is dependent on him and his wife, who work as bricklayers. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, work has reduced for both of them- while his wife has been put out of work, U Thant Zaw Oo works once in three ...

10 April 2020 The European Union (EU) has signed a Contribution Agreement with UN-Habitat (lead) and UN Environment Programme for an amount of EUR 7.4 million to support Government of Myanmar to strengthen its effort in fight against climate change, through a 2nd phase of the Myanmar Climate Change Alliance (MCCA) programme. The GCCA+ is ...

Naw Thin Thin Shwe, Tun Aung Pru, Vishnu Prasad 1st April 2o2o Daw Yin Thein runs her own store at the busy Ma Gyi Myaing Market in Sittwe, Rakhine State. For households and small business owners like her in Sittwe township, the battle against Covid-19 comes at a time of acute water shortage. While water ...

    Yangon, 11 March 2020 – A handover ceremony for a water treatment plant as an in-situ slum upgrading project took place on 10th March in Dala township, Yangon. In Yangon, informal settlements have developed in all parts of the city; most of the growth however is spatially concentrated in and around the ‘resettlement areas’ ...

    Nay Pyi Taw, 16 December 2019 – UN-Habitat in partnership with the Department of Urban Housing and Development (DUHD) of the Ministry of Construction (MoC) of Myanmar hosted “The National Urban Policy Forum of Myanmar – Final Consultation”. The Forum was successfully held on 16th December 2019 at the Myanmar International Convention Center II (MICC-II) ...

   Nay Pyi Taw, 23 October 2019 – “The Consultation Workshop on Smart City Strategy for National Urban Policy (NUP) in Myanmar” was jointly organized by UN-Habitat in partnership with the Department of Urban Housing and Development (DUHD) of the Ministry of Construction (MoC). The workshop was held on 23rd October 2019 at Mingalar Thiri Hotel in ...