Displacement Narrators reporting from Myanmar: August 2020

Climate change and the environment determinants of violence and mental distress in fragile contexts: Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Nepal

Professor Tamsin Bradley, University of Portsmouth

Key issues among communities

Key current issues are joblessness, lack of income and employment opportunities, and families that depend on remittances are more vulnerable. Most villagers (male and female) are seasonal migrant workers who work in Shan State or and outside the country in China or Thailand. They usually work as migrant workers during the off-farm season and return home and work as casual labour in the villages during the farming season. As a result of Covid-19, opportunities for migrant work have gone, and workers are back in their villages where employment opportunities are scarce.

Environmental conditions

The flooding this year has not been as bad as in previous years. This is a good sign for growing crops. However, there was a landslide this month, which affected ‘Thangyine’ (one of the study sites) worse than other villages. A small wholesale local fish market near the river-bank has disappeared.

COVID situation

There have been no Covid-19 positive cases in the villages so far, so people are not particularly afraid of the virus.

Mental health and wellbeing

Since there are no Covid-19 cases, the most stressful situation has been the economic hardship arising from the impact of Covid-19 elsewhere on migrant work. Villagers, especially those from poor families were happy to receive government assistance in the form of cash and non-cash items (as part of the government’s Covid-19 relief plan).

Less severe flooding this year has given farmers some hope, as the level of flooding experienced makes the land fertile. Nevertheless, experience of landslides and flooding every year, lead to fear of loss of land (both for living and farming) and cause distress to the farmers.

Gender issues and incidents of violence

No specific cases of violence were mentioned this month. However, narrators reported that quarrels between husbands and wives and among family members are common due to alcohol and lack of jobs.

In the past, a couple of cases were reported in the community. In one instance, a woman suffered from domestic violence (by the husband). Her abusive husband died, and she went back to her mother’s house with her two children. She now sells vegetables in the market, and as a result, the family is experiencing better living conditions, and she is happy as she can earn money and has control over her income. In the second case, a woman and her parents suffered from domestic violence (from her husband), though she was able to get divorced with the help of her husband’s aunt.

Support received from the government and other agencies

Poor households from the villages received food (rice, cooking oil, etc) three times, and cash twice from the government. The cash provided was approximately $12 and $20. There were no initiatives within the community and no other support from NGOs/CSOs or other entities.