WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday (Aug 6) that it may not have enough funding for the next six months to help the millions of people in Myanmar facing food insecurity amid a wave of Covid-19 infections and political unrest in the South-east Asian nation.

The WFP said in a statement it needs US$86 million (S$116 million) to help fight hunger in the country, which is battling rising Covid-19 infections and has been in chaos since the military ousted an elected government led by Ms Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1.

“We have seen hunger spreading further and deeper in Myanmar,” WFP Myanmar country director Stephen Anderson said in the statement.

The world’s largest humanitarian organisation estimated that 6.3 million people in Myanmar could face food insecurity in the next six months, up from 2.8 million before the military takeover in February.

“It is critically important for us to be able to access… all those in need and receive the funding needed to provide them with humanitarian assistance,” Mr Anderson said.

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