As the death toll in Myanmar continues to rise following Friday's historic earthquake, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the country said on Tuesday that the scale and scope of the earthquake's impact is vast, spanning multiple states and regions, particularly the central part of Myanmar. The death toll is expected to rise to more than 3,000, according to the country's military junta, while thousands are reportedly injured and hundreds missing.
The devastating earthquake exacerbates an already dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, where nearly 20 million people across the country were in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake struck, including more than 3.5 million internally displaced people.
“We are still gathering information on the full extent of the impact, but initial reports indicate a huge number of people affected and significant structural damage,” Marcoluigi Corsi, the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for Myanmar, told journalists in Geneva, speaking from Yangon.
He said the human toll was devastating and continuing to rise, with millions of people living in the areas affected by the earthquakes and a high number of casualties.
Initial reports indicate a huge number of people affected and significant structural damage, including to roads, bridges, hospitals and buildings. The immediate needs of affected communities include shelter, food, electricity, medicine and running water.
Humanitarian agencies say telecommunications disruptions, damaged roads and debris continue to hamper the response. They also report severe shortages of medical supplies, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines and tents for health workers.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), healthcare facilities are overwhelmed by the large number of patients, while many have been damaged and are operating at limited capacity. In addition, health workers and their families have been affected by the earthquake.
The WHO warned in a situation report on Tuesday that operations remain extremely challenging due to a lack of skilled rescue teams. Despite support from international teams, the scale of the devastation is immense, the UN agency said.
“The search and rescue [efforts] are continuing, but we are now at 72 hours since the earthquake. This means that the number of casualties is expected to rise,” Corsi said.
“Some people in the affected areas spent the night in the open, and some of us as well, together with other humanitarian actors, because, you know, we have no electricity, we have no running water.”
“This is summertime, and it is very hot. Homes have been damaged or destroyed. And, of course, there are aftershocks, and people are scared to go inside their homes,” Corsi said, noting that the new monsoon season is expected to begin soon.
United Nations agencies and humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are present in the area and are actively delivering supplies while conducting a rapid assessment to determine the full extent of the needs.
“Some of these supplies include food, drinking water - there is a huge need for drinking water - temporary shelter to accommodate people. Also to say that the medicines are very important,” the Humanitarian Coordinator said.
He reported that teams of search and rescue experts were working to find people trapped in the rubble, as the critical window for the search narrowed.
Prior to the earthquake, Myanmar was already facing one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with 19.9 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 6.5 million children, due to armed conflict, climate-related disasters such as cyclones and severe flooding, as well as cholera outbreaks.
Myanmar also experienced a severe hunger crisis, with 15.2 million people - one in four - facing food insecurity this year. Aid agencies say they are deeply concerned about the potential deterioration of humanitarian needs in the aftermath of the disaster.
The Humanitarian Coordinator called on the world to step up its support for the people of Myanmar.
“This is time, to be honest, for the world to step up and support the people of Myanmar. We keep saying that Myanmar does not rank very high among the different emergencies,” Corsi said.
“And we are not saying that we are competing with other emergencies, but it is really a matter of putting the people of Myanmar in higher attention of everybody because they deserve the attention of the world.”
As the earthquake exacerbates needs, urgent funding is critical to saving lives, he said.
The humanitarian response in Myanmar has been chronically underfunded for years. Three months into the year, US$56 million - about five percent - of the $1 billion Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2025 has been received.
Also speaking from Yangon on Tuesday, Julia Rees, deputy representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Myanmar, said the "deadliest earthquake to hit Myanmar in many decades has hit children the hardest."
“Entire communities have been flattened. Children and families are sleeping in the open, with no homes to return to,” she said.
“I met children who were in shock after witnessing their homes collapse or the death of family members. Some have been separated from their parents. Others are still unaccounted for.”
Rees warned that the crisis is still unfolding.
“The tremors are continuing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. Bodies are still being pulled from the rubble,” she said.
“Let me be clear: the needs are massive, and they are rising by the hour. The window for life-saving response is closing. Across the affected areas, families are facing acute shortages of clean water, food, and medical supplies.”
UNICEF is calling for an urgent response from the international community.
The devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, causing widespread destruction. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), last Friday's earthquake, which also affected eastern Thailand and southern China, is one of the largest in Myanmar's history.
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 and the hardest hit area. More than 10,000 buildings have reportedly collapsed or been severely damaged in the affected regions.
The magnitude 7.7 quake struck at 12:50 pm local time at a depth of 10 kilometers near Sagaing City 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 been declared in at least six affected states and regions across Myanmar, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago, Easter Shan, Mayway and Naypyidaw.
Myanmar has been in the grip of a brutal civil war since a military coup more than four years ago. Armed conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and various non-state armed groups (NSAGs) continues to endanger civilian lives, with clashes, shelling, airstrikes, and drone attacks causing civilian casualties in multiple states and regions.
The Myanmar military has continued to carry out airstrikes against civilians and opposition forces in the aftermath of the earthquake, while the People's Defense Force on Saturday declared a partial unilateral ceasefire in disaster-affected areas for two weeks.
UN special envoy to Myanmar, Julie Bishop, said in a statement on Monday that continued military operations in disaster-affected areas risk further loss of life and undermine the shared imperative to respond.
Bishop condemned all forms of violence and called on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and focus their efforts on protecting civilians, including aid workers, and delivering life-saving assistance.
“The earthquake has laid bare the deeper vulnerabilities facing Myanmar’s people and underscored the need for sustained international attention to the broader crisis. All sides must urgently allow space for humanitarian relief and ensure that aid workers can operate in safety,” the statement said.
“Safe and unimpeded access to affected populations and areas must be provided through all available channels and actors in line with international humanitarian principles, and regardless of territorial control. “
Due to the ongoing conflict, some of the most severely affected areas are experiencing significant communication disruptions, further complicating the situation.
Donations
United Nations: Myanmar Earthquake Appeal
https://crisisrelief.un.org/myanmar-earthquake
UN World Food Programme (WFP): Myanmar Earthquake
https://donate.wfp.org/1244/donation/single/?campaign=4899
International Organization for Migration: Myanmar Earthquake
https://www.iom.int/?form=Myanmar-earthquake
WHO Foundation: Myanmar Earthquake Appeal
https://www.emergencies.who.foundation/?form=FUNAPKKTHJC
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Myanmar Earthquake
https://donate.redcrossredcrescent.org/ifrc/myanmar-earthquake/~my-donation?_cv=1
Oxfam America: Myanmar Earthquake
https://give.oxfamamerica.org/page/81354/donate/1?en_txn9=content_button
Plan International: Myanmar Earthquake Appeal
https://plan-international.org/myanmar-earthquake-appeal/
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
Caritas Australia: Myanmar Earthquake Appeal
https://www.caritas.org.au/donate/emergency-appeals/myanmar-earthquake/