By Vibhu Mishra
10
April 2025
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake – which
struck on March 28 – has claimed over 3,600 lives, injured
a further 4,800 people and left 184 still missing.
The
disaster has affected more than nine million people across
58 townships, with thousands of buildings, including
hospitals and schools, reduced to rubble. Aftershocks
continue to rattle the hardest-hit regions, exacerbating an
already dire humanitarian crisis.
In response, UN
agencies are calling for an additional
$241.6 million to aid those in the most affected
regions, while also channelling $134 million from the 2025
Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Myanmar –
which was released in December 2024.
The revised plan
identifies around two million newly affected people in
urgent need of assistance, adding to the 4.3 million who
were already in need before the quake.
Myanmar was
already in crisis before the disaster, with nearly 20
million – roughly a third of the population – in need of
humanitarian assistance and protection, amid a brutal civil
war between the forces of the military junta which seized
power in February 2021 and opposition
militias.
Heartbreaking destruction
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During a
visit to Myanmar, UN
Special Envoy Julie
Bishop met with communities devastated by the quake and
urged international support for both immediate relief and
long-term reconstruction.
She reiterated
the urgent need for a ceasefire to enable humanitarian
response and recovery.
“We need to continue to urge
for a ceasefire, to stop the killing, stop the conflict so
that the humanitarian workers, the search and rescue teams
and those involved in rebuilding and reconstruction have the
space to operate safely and securely,” she said.
Ms.
Bishop described the destruction as “heartbreaking” and
praised the resilience of survivors.
“I was
particularly struck by those who have lost their homes but
are determined to rebuild amid the rubble,” she
said, stressing the need for global
support.
“The international community has a
significant role to play in supporting additional
funding during this particular time of need but
also using their influence to ensure…that all actors in
this conflict put down their arms and focus their efforts on
restoring the shattered lives of the people of
Myanmar.”
Response overwhelmed
UN agencies
report that Myanmar’s vital public services, already
strained by conflict and instability, are now
overwhelmed.
Myanmar’s remaining health facilities
have critical shortages of medical supplies, the UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said
in a humanitarian
bulletin.
More than 193 healthcare centres
and 2,311 schools have been damaged or destroyed,
while ongoing infrastructure failures have led to food
shortages, rising prices, and an increased risk of
infectious diseases.
A cluster of acute watery
diarrhoea (AWD) cases has already been reported in Sagaing
and Mandalay, exacerbated by the destruction of sanitation
systems.
Furthermore, extreme heat – reaching 44°C
(111°F) – and heavy, off-season rains have worsened
conditions for survivors, many of whom remain without
shelter.
Fragile infrastructure exposed
The
earthquake has also reignited concerns about Myanmar’s
fragile infrastructure.
The UN Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) warned
that rebuilding roads, bridges and key public buildings must
be prioritised to prevent future disasters inflicting a
similar level of damage.
“This is not
optional – it is a social and economic
imperative,” the commission
said.
