YANGON/BANGKOK, 31 March 2025 – On the
morning that Myanmar’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck,
16-year-old student Yoon May- was having lunch at home in
Mandalay and contemplating having a nap when she suddenly
felt dizzy.
“I couldn’t process what was happening.
I just ran. I barely escaped. The moment I stepped outside,
bricks started falling from the ceiling. We all ran to the
open field near our house. “This was the first earthquake I
had ever experienced. It was terrifying.”
The
earthquake on 28 March – the most powerful one in a century
to hit Myanmar – caused extensive damage to infrastructure,
as well as disrupting electricity and telecommunications
services across the country.
More than 1,700 people
have now been confirmed dead, and at least 3,400 people have
been injured. Many others are still missing, and there is a
high likelihood that the death toll could be significantly
higher. [1]
The earthquake happened ahead of
Myanmar’s New Year celebration, a traditional water
festival known as ‘Thingyan’, which normally occurs in
mid-April and is a time of festivity for four to five days,
particularly for children.
This year, there will be no
such celebrations for children and families affected by the
earthquake.
“I had just finished my exams and was
looking forward to celebrating Thingyan with my friends and
visiting my aunt’s house. But now, all I want to do is
cry. I’m so lucky I didn’t fall asleep-I’m not a light
sleeper. If I had, I don’t know what would have
happened.”
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Yoon May’s family home was badly damaged,
and her family have been left without water and electricity.
They are now living in an open field, with only a mosquito
net to protect them.
“I haven’t been able to sleep
at all. Last night, we received an alert that another
aftershock could hit between 1 am and 3 am. And it
did.”
Hospitals, both public and private, are
overwhelmed with people seeking medical care and many people
have sought shelter in monasteries, football fields, and
open spaces for fear of aftershocks.
Save the Children
and our partners are providing lifesaving aid in earthquake
affected areas in Myanmar with an immediate need for water,
food and health care services for children and their
families. We aim to provide cash to families so they can buy
food, medicine and other essentials as well as access to
clean water, essential hygiene and sanitation items and
health services.
Save the Children has been working in
Myanmar since 1995, providing life-saving healthcare, food
and nutrition, education and child protection
programmes.
Notes
[1] UN News
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161716
–
Name
changed.
