The Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) aims to strengthen the resilience and sustainable livelihoods of poor households in Myanmar by helping people reach their full economic potential.

To date, over 11.6 million people in 75 per cent of Myanmar’s townships have benefitted from LIFT’s programmes.

LIFT is managed by the United Nations Office for Projects Services (UNOPS) and has received funding from 16 international donors. The current donors are the United Kingdom, the European Union, Switzerland, Australia, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and Norway.

See LIFT's 2019-2023 strategy here.

 

Learn more

Focus

Agriculture
Explore
Decent Work and Labour Mobility
Explore
Financial Inclusion
Explore
Nutrition
Explore

Where We Work

See Countrywide Work
Others

Rakhine

Population: 3,2 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 94,3 million

Total contracted projects: 24

Townships: 17

Focus: Rakhine has the highest poverty and unemployment rates in Myanmar. Programming in Rakhine covers the four key thematic areas of LIFT’s strategy: agriculture, decent work and labour mobility, financial inclusion, and nutrition.
Ayeyarwady

Population: 6,2 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 70,3 million 

Total contracted projects: 55

Focus: LIFT aims to increase farmers’ incomes, their labour productivity, and capability to adapt to climate change. LIFT supports inclusiveness in Myanmar’s rural transformation and strengthen resilience of poor rural households by introducing maternal cash transfers and behaviour change for improved nutrition; improved hygiene, supporting economic activities; informing effective policy and public expenditure decisions; improving agriculture and livestock production processes; and introducing small grant opportunities to township-level civil society organisations.

 
Bago East

Population: 4,9 million (all Bago)

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 1,4 million

Total contracted projects: 4 

Focus: LIFT aims to increase farmers’ incomes, their labour productivity, and capability to adapt to climate change. LIFT supports inclusiveness in Myanmar’s rural transformation and strengthen resilience of poor rural households by introducing maternal cash transfers and behaviour change for improved nutrition; improved hygiene, supporting economic activities; informing effective policy and public expenditure decisions; improving agriculture and livestock production processes; and introducing small grant opportunities to township-level civil society organisations.
Bago West

Population: 4,9 million (all Bago)

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 3.6 million

Total contracted projects: 5 

Focus: LIFT aims to increase farmers’ incomes, their labour productivity, and capability to adapt to climate change. LIFT supports inclusiveness in Myanmar’s rural transformation and strengthen resilience of poor rural households by introducing maternal cash transfers and behaviour change for improved nutrition; improved hygiene, supporting economic activities; informing effective policy and public expenditure decisions; improving agriculture and livestock production processes; and introducing small grant opportunities to township-level civil society organisations.
Chin

Population: 480,000

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 35,3 million

Total contracted projects: 19

Townships: 9

Focus: LIFT works towards improved nutrition, increased incomes, market access and integration, and women’s empowerment. LIFT also supports vulnerable communities including migrants and IDPs, provides skills training, and promotes sustainable agricultural practices.
Kachin

Population: 1,7 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 16,8 million

Total contracted projects: 14

Townships: 15

Focus: LIFT works to increase economic return for farmers through improved management of natural resources and agricultural practices. LIFT provides skills training and supports vulnerable communities with a focus on conflict-affected populations and migrants. LIFT also develops context-specific strategies to counter high rates of malnutrition.
Kayah

Population: 287,000

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 10,3 million

Total contracted projects: 7

Focus: LIFT focuses on supporting Government-led maternal and child cash transfers (MCCT) with social behaviour change communication (SBCC) for nutrition approaches. LIFT promotes resilient livelihoods for food and nutrition security with interventions focusing on climate change, forestry, land rights, internally displaced persons, natural resource governance and livelihoods for the most vulnerable.
Kayin

Population: 1,6 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 19,4 million

Total contracted projects: 13

Focus: LIFT focuses on supporting Government-led maternal and child cash transfers (MCCT) with social behaviour change communication (SBCC) for nutrition approaches. LIFT promotes resilient livelihoods for food and nutrition security with interventions focusing on climate change, forestry, land rights, internally displaced persons, natural resource governance and livelihoods for the most vulnerable.
Magway

Population: 3,9 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 27,5 million

Total contracted projects: 22

Focus: LIFT supports inclusiveness in Myanmar’s rural transformation and strengthens resilience of poor rural households by introducing maternal cash transfers and behaviour change for improved nutrition; improved hygiene in villages, supporting economic activities to improve the rural economy; informing effective policy and public expenditure decisions; improving agriculture and livestock production processes; and introducing small grant opportunities to township-level civil society organisations.
Mandalay

Population: 6,2 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 31,2 million

Total contracted projects: 24

Focus: LIFT supports inclusiveness in Myanmar’s rural transformation and strengthens resilience of poor rural households by introducing maternal cash transfers and behaviour change for improved nutrition; improved hygiene in villages, supporting economic activities to improve the rural economy; informing effective policy and public expenditure decisions; improving agriculture and livestock production processes; and introducing small grant opportunities to township-level civil society organisations.
Mon

Population: 2 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 5,5 million

Total contracted projects: 5

Focus: LIFT aims to increase farmers’ incomes, their labour productivity, and capability to adapt to climate change. LIFT supports inclusiveness in Myanmar’s rural transformation and strengthen resilience of poor rural households by introducing maternal cash transfers and behaviour change for improved nutrition; improved hygiene, supporting economic activities; informing effective policy and public expenditure decisions; improving agriculture and livestock production processes; and introducing small grant opportunities to township-level civil society organisations.
Nay Pyi Taw

Population: 1,2 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 578,000

Total contracted projects: 1

Focus: LIFT holds workshops, events and conferences, and works to strengthen its capacity for policy engagement with the Government of Myanmar in Nay Pyi Taw.
Sagaing

Population: 5,3 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 8,1 million

Total contracted projects: 11

Focus: LIFT works to improve people's economic resilience through microfinance loans and on supporting people’s mobility and independence through distributing assisted devices.
Shan (East)

Population: 5,8 million (all Shan)

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 1,5 million

Total contracted projects: 2

Focus: LIFT supports trafficking survivors through shelter services.

 
Shan (North)

Population: 5,8 million (Shan)

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 16,7 million (Northern Shan)

Total contracted projects: 15

Townships: 34 (Shan)

Focus: The prevalence of stunting in northern Shan is classified as an emergency. LIFT works on context-specific strategies for improved nutritional outcomes and building resilience through agricultural diversification. LIFT also focuses on conflict-affected areas, social cohesion, and inclusion of IDPs and the most vulnerable.
Shan (South)

Population: 5,8 million (all Shan)

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 7,7 million

Total contracted projects: 9

Focus: LIFT works to strengthen local resources in the area of agro-ecological and local development initiatives and supports sub-national planning workshops.
Tanintharyi

Population: 1,4 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 6,4 million

Total contracted projects: 6 

Focus: support inclusiveness in Myanmar’s rural transformation and strengthen resilience of poor rural households by introducing maternal cash transfers and behaviour change for improved nutrition; improved hygiene in villages, supporting economic activities to improve the rural economy; informing effective policy and public expenditure decisions; improving agriculture and livestock production processes; and introducing small grant opportunities to township-level civil society organisations.
Yangon

Population: 7,4 million

LIFT budget 2019-23 (actual plus forecast): USD 24,5 million

Total contracted projects: 13

Townships: 44

Focus: LIFT works to improve nutrition to fight Yangon’s high rates of malnourishment, and provides water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. LIFT also supports migrants through skills training and promoting safe migration and decent work.

Impact

members of civil society took part in LIFT-funded training
people reached by LIFT
people have increased their food security by more than one month
View All