By Vibhu Mishra
7 April
2025
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake which
struck shortly before 1 PM local time on 28 March, was the
strongest in recent memory.
As aftershocks continue,
UN agencies are warning
of a looming health emergency, with children sleeping in the
open, exposed to extreme heat, unsanitary conditions and the
constant fear of another disaster.
According to the
latest figures, over 3,500 people have died, nearly 5,000
have been injured and more than 200 remain
missing.
The UN relief chief, speaking
from Myanmar where he is overseeing the aid effort,
underscored the Organization’s commitment to help
communities in need.
“The United Nations is
here – we are going to stay here and we will deliver for
them. But we need the world to get behind us, but
more importantly, to back this community as they rebuild
their lives,” said
Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, as he visited
neighbourhoods levelled by the disaster in the capital Nay
Pyi Taw on Saturday.
He highlighted the need for the
international community to step up support, stressing that
the most vulnerable have been the most
affected.
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“One thing that I have been struck by here
is that you would think earthquakes hit everyone equally,
but they hit the poorest hardest because they do not
have the resources to respond, to move house, to live
elsewhere, to start to
rebuild.”
Education in
ruins
The earthquake has dealt a severe blow
to Myanmar’s already fragile education
system.
According to government reports, at least
1,824 schools have been damaged or destroyed, leaving
hundreds of thousands of children without access to
education.
With schools reduced to rubble, there is
growing concern that many children, especially those in
poorer communities, will fall behind in their studies – or
never return to school at all.
No quick and
easy fixes
There are “no quick and easy
fixes,” the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns.
“Many
children have lost their parents, their friends and they
need a place where they can get psychosocial
support and begin to feel a sense of normalcy,”
Eliana Drakopoulos, Chief of Communications at UNICEF
Myanmar, told UN News.
“As hard as that is to
imagine…we have to respond to the immediate emergency, but
we also have to be here for the long haul to help people
recover from this massive tragedy.”
Eliana
Drakopoulos, Chief of Communications at UNICEF Myanmar,
updates on the situation in the affected
areas
Health risks
The
destruction of homes, hospitals and sanitation facilities,
combined with heavy rains over the weekend have raised fears
of disease outbreaks.
According to the UN World Health
Organization (WHO)-led Health Cluster,
more
than 65 healthcare facilities have been damaged, further
complicating the situation. The lack of medical supplies is
putting the lives of injured and sick children at even
greater risk.
Beyond the physical dangers, children
are also dealing with the psychological trauma of the
disaster. Many are afraid to sleep indoors, fearing that
another earthquake will strike.
Heightened
challenges for persons with disabilities
The
earthquake’s devastation has disproportionately impacted
persons with disabilities who face increased vulnerability
due to physical injuries, displacement and disruption of
essential services.
According to a UN initial rapid assessment
conducted with 15 organizations of persons with disabilities
and special schools in Mandalay and Sagaing, 11 of them
reported direct impacts. The disaster has also led to a rise
in newly acquired disabilities, further straining limited
resources.
Preliminary reports indicate families of
persons with disabilities have suffered severe hardships,
including the collapse of homes, destruction of critical
infrastructure such as sanitation facilities and loss of
livelihoods.
“I am even afraid to use the toilet,
fearing that another earthquake might strike while I am
inside,” said one woman living with
disability.
“I constantly worry – what if
another earthquake happens while I’m inside a damaged
house? The fear and anxiety never go
away.”
