A devastating earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, causing widespread destruction and leaving thousands of families in urgent need of assistance. Initial reports indicate significant damage in central Myanmar, in Mandalay City, near the epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Reports citing sources in Mandalay indicate that at least hundreds have died and thousands of injured are overwhelming hospitals.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the March 28 earthquake is the most powerful to hit Myanmar since 1912. One of the largest earthquakes in Myanmar's history has collapsed residential and commercial buildings and schools, damaged infrastructure such as bridges, and disrupted communication and transportation networks.
In Mandalay City, major public and religious buildings and businesses reportedly collapsed. There are reports of hundreds of people trapped under rubble in monasteries and other buildings. Major roads were damaged, including the express highway from Yangon to Naypyidaw and Mandalay. Structural damage has been reported to bridges and other major roads connecting Naypyidaw, Mandalay and Sagaing.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 16 km north-northwest of Sagaing City and 19 km northwest of Mandalay City, the country's second largest city.
Emergency response teams from the Myanmar Red Cross were immediately deployed to provide emergency care to the injured and to search for missing loved ones. Red Cross teams are continuing to assess the impact on people affected by the quake.
The quake struck at 12:50 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers near Sagaing town in central Myanmar. The powerful quake was felt in several countries, including Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and China.
Just 12 minutes later, a 6.4 magnitude aftershock struck at 13:02 local time, adding to the devastation, further damaging structures in Mandalay and Sagaing, complicating rescue efforts, and raising fears of more casualties.
A state of emergency has now been declared in at least six states across Myanmar, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago, Easter Shan, Mayway and Naypyidaw. In Mandalay and Sagaing, electricity and network lines are down. The ruling military junta has appealed to the international community for assistance.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar near the Sagaing Fault, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. The fault is caused by the movement of the Indian and Eurasian plates, and towns along the fault are among the most vulnerable to earthquakes in Myanmar.
“We are gathering information on the number of people impacted, damage to infrastructure and immediate humanitarian needs, in order to guide our response in the best way possible. We will share more updates and information as it becomes available,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday.
The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has made an initial allocation of US$5 million from the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) to support life-saving assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake.
As an immediate response, the European Union (EU) is releasing €2.5 million in initial emergency aid to address the immediate needs of the most vulnerable people in Myanmar, with a focus on displaced and conflict-affected communities. The EU has also activated its Copernicus satellite service to facilitate impact assessments.
According to CARE International, an estimated 6.1 million people across Myanmar have been affected by the earthquake.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday it was working to understand the current needs of affected communities, and stood ready to provide assistance.
“This powerful earthquake hit the country at the worst possible time. With one in four in the country already facing acute food insecurity, Myanmar just can't afford another disaster,” said Sheela Matthew, WFP Deputy Country Director in Myanmar.
“WFP has stocks of ready-to-eat food in our warehouses, and we are ready to respond as needed,” she added.
Myanmar is already facing a severe hunger crisis, with 15.2 million people - one in four - facing food insecurity this year. WFP said it is deeply concerned about the potential worsening of humanitarian needs in the aftermath of this disaster.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), said relief efforts were underway in coordination with country offices in Myanmar and Thailand.
Harris said the damage was enormous, and WHO had activated its logistics hub in Dubai to provide primarily trauma supplies, and a health needs assessment had begun. WHO was ready to move supplies as soon as the needs were clear.
Médecins du Monde France (Doctors of the World, MdM) said in a statement that the disaster comes at a time when the country is already facing a multidimensional crisis - political, economic, social, health, and humanitarian.
“The immediate priority is to meet essential needs: medical care, water, food, and shelter. Our teams in Myanmar report that hospitals are overwhelmed, said Helena Ranchal, MdM's director of international operations.
The earthquake exacerbates an already dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, where nearly 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance across the country before the earthquake, including more than 3.5 million people displaced from their homes. Sagaing is home to 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), more than one-third of all IDPs in Myanmar.
Myanmar has been in the grip of a brutal civil war since a military coup took place more than four years ago. Armed conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and various non-state armed groups (NSAGs) is ongoing in several states and regions.
The escalating conflict between the MAF and NSAGs continues to put civilian lives at risk, with clashes, shelling, airstrikes, and drone attacks resulting in civilian casualties in multiple states and regions. Due to the ongoing conflict, some of the hardest hit areas are experiencing significant communication disruptions, further complicating the situation.
Life-saving assistance will be urgently needed, including medicines and health supplies, emergency shelter and blankets, as well as food and water and essential relief items. Several humanitarian organizations have already launched emergency appeals, including Malteser International, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development in the UK (CAFOD), Caritas Australia and Plan International.
Donations
United Nations: Myanmar Earthquake appeal
https://crisisrelief.un.org/myanmar-earthquake
CAFOD: Myanmar Earthquake Appeal
https://cafod.org.uk/give/donate-to-emergencies/myanmar-earthquake-appeal
Malteser International: Earthquake Relief in Myanmar and Thailand
https://www.malteser-international.org/en/our-work/asia/earthquake-in-myanmar-and-thailand.html
Plan International: Myanmar Earthquake Appeal
https://plan-international.org/myanmar-earthquake-appeal/
Caritas Australia: Myanmar Earthquake Appeal
https://www.caritas.org.au/donate/emergency-appeals/myanmar-earthquake/