Poverty and vulnerability dynamics in Myanmar

Myanmar has suffered, along with the rest of the world, from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, it has had to contend with the instability and violence induced by the military coup of February 2021. By September of last year, the United Nations was warning of a human rights ‘catastrophe’ in the country, arising from a mix of widespread violence, food insecurity and rapidly rising poverty. Ines A. Ferreira, Vincenzo Salvucci and Finn Tarp share insights from their research in the country to identify the characteristics of households particularly vulnerable to falling into poverty – insights that can play a crucial role in the design and delivery of optimally-targeted humanitarian efforts.