A powerful earthquake has devastated regions across Myanmar and Thailand. Buildings have collapsed, leaving people homeless and isolated.
ShelterBox team member Martin provides an update on how we are responding to the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar.
Kerri Murray, ShelterBox USA President, shares the urgent need for aid as families face devastation after the Myanmar and Thailand earthquake.
Myanmar has been struck by a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake, causing widespread destruction. This is a huge humanitarian crisis.
The earthquake was followed by a significant aftershock of 6.4M approximately 12 minutes later. Tremors were felt as far as Thailand and China when the epicentre of the earthquake hit central Myanmar. Another significant earthquake of 5.5M struck central Myanmar just two weeks after the 7.7 quake.
One million people have been forced from their homes. Hospitals within Myanmar are overwhelmed, and extreme temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius are increasing the risks for communities and responders. With water supplies scarce, the threat of disease is growing.
Across Myanmar, people are missing or feared dead, their homes turned to rubble. For thousands, the only option is to live in damaged homes, flee, or sleep the current conflict makes displacement within Myanmar even more dangerous. Heavy rains are further complicating relief efforts.
People need urgent humanitarian assistance. Aid has started to arrive, but it’s not enough. Vulnerable people urgently need clean water, food, medicine, and emergency shelter.
Help families like those in Myanmar and Thailand find safety during crises
We have teams in both Myanmar and Thailand, working hard so we can get emergency shelter aid to people in Myanmar.
The full extent of the damage is becoming clearer. People need clean water, shelter, and essential household items like mosquito nets, water filters, and hygiene kits.
People living away from towns and cities in Myanmar are not getting much support and are living out in the open or in damaged shelters. One option we’re looking at is to focus on providing assistance in these rural areas.
We are currently progressing talks with a potential partner on the ground. We’re also working closely with local contacts in Myanmar, alongside other humanitarian organisations and networks like Rotary.
It’s an incredibly challenging environment, and the humanitarian response will take time. While we want to get aid to people as quickly as possible, it’s important we do this in the right way, so we do no harm to people left vulnerable by conflict and the earthquake.
Myanmar is at war – this adds layers of complexity to an already challenging response. Organizations working in Myanmar need relevant permissions, and travel to affected areas is extremely limited. Importing aid into Myanmar and then moving it to where it is needed is extremely complicated. So, we’re looking at all options, including what we can procure locally.
The political and security environment is complex, but we’re working hard to get emergency assistance to those who need it most.
Your support is crucial in making this response possible.
In Myanmar, the devastating earthquake has intensified an already dire humanitarian crisis. Hospitals are overwhelmed, struggling to treat the injured. Communication networks are failing, and blocked roads make aid delivery and rescue efforts nearly impossible.
Large numbers of people are forced to sleep outside, afraid of aftershocks and unable to return to their homes. Food supplies are low, with 15.2 million people at risk of food insecurity prior to the quake. Without clean drinking water, the risk of disease is extreme. Medical support is stretched thin, and the lack of shelter means families are exposed to harsh conditions with no protection.
The ongoing conflict is making rescue efforts even harder. People are desperately searching for missing loved ones, but with restricted access, many remain trapped or missing. The recovery of bodies is becoming increasingly difficult as communities struggle to find and bury their dead amidst the destruction.
This latest disaster has pushed the people of Myanmar to the brink. Already surviving through conflict and displacement, their resilience is a testament to their strength – but as conditions deteriorate, survival becomes even harder.
ShelterBox is ready to respond, to provide emergency shelter like tents and tarpaulins, as well as water filters, mosquito nets and solar lights. We need your support to reach those who need help the most.
Please, if you can, donate today.
That the process for importing material aid into Myanmar has its challenges, there are few organisations set up to do it, and those that are don’t necessarily have the capacity or experience to cover large volumes.
We are working with Rotary colleagues and partners to overcome this, and we are exploring all avenues.
It appears that most organisations here are in a similar position, and there is a great deal of collaboration and information sharing taking place to enable all actors to implement projects.
Colleagues who have managed to access the affected areas are reporting widespread damage, with people living in large groups under makeshift tarpaulin structures. They’re essentially sleeping in the open, either because their homes are completely destroyed or they are fearful of aftershocks collapsing their homes on top of them.
Living in these types of makeshift shelters long-term brings significant risks, particularly to women and girls, and there is an urgency to get people into better shelters with their families as quickly as possible.
Food, water, and shelter are the top three priorities. The rainy season is about to begin, and there has been significant rainfall already that people have no protection from.
As well as protection from the weather, providing shelter and household items will help prevent the spread of disease that we often see after large-scale disasters.
We have a better understanding of what people need, but where we might work and the type of damage sustained there will help guide what kind of shelter we will focus on.
We’re exploring options for a small ShelterBox team to travel to Myanmar to make sure we get the best information we can to make those decisions.
ShelterBox will respond to need wherever it exists. We understand that affected populations are living in areas controlled by both the ‘State Administration Council’ SAC and the National Unity Government (Government in exile) and as such we are investigating ways in which we can gain access to people who are most vulnerable.
This is not straightforward and requires careful consideration as well as permissions from authorities for our partners to work in areas of conflict. At the moment, there is a ceasefire in place in the affected region. It is unknown how long this will hold.
Featuring the latest news from the field, stories of families who we’ve helped and exciting fundraising campaigns that you can be a part of.Featuring the latest news from the field, stories of families who we’ve helped and exciting fundraising campaigns that you can be a part of.
Header Image at top: Lilian Suwanrumpha via Getty Images
Banner Image: Andre Malerba/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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