UNDP has been providing development assistance to the people of Myanmar since the 1950s. UNDP operated under a restricted mandate from 1993 until 2012 implementing the Human Development Initiative programme which provided assistance directly to communities and individuals for improving their lives and livelihoods. 

In 2013, UNDP began working through two country programmes, and between 2018 and 2020 the focus shifted to direct support to the Myanmar Government. 

Following the military takeover in 2021, UNDP Myanmar pivoted to directly target the extremely vulnerable by meeting their basic needs and supporting community recovery, through the Community First Programme: 2021-2023. 

UNDP Myanmar works with an extensive network of local CSO, CBO, grassroots partners and community leaders established by UNDP under the Human Development Initiative which started in 1993. These networks remain operational, and UNDP has been able to quickly connect and deliver support through them despite rapid changes in Myanmar’s political and social landscape. 

UNDP Myanmar will expand operations from 57 to 77 townships across Myanmar, including in Rakhine, and areas controlled by SAC, EAOs and those under mixed control.