Aid efforts intensify after deadly Myanmar-Thailand quake

Several countries have pledged humanitarian aid to Myanmar after a deadly earthquake struck the Southeast Asian nation on Friday, killing more than 1,700 people and injuring another 3,400.

According to the US Geological Service, Myanmar’s death toll could reach 10,000, and property losses could exceed the country’s annual economic production.

Friday’s earthquake is the deadliest disaster to hit the country in years and has damaged critical infrastructure, impeding the delivery of humanitarian support, the United Nations said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies started an emergency appeal Sunday for $115 million (about €106 million) to help victims of the earthquake in Myanmar.

“To scale up support, the IFRC launches an emergency appeal for 100 million Swiss francs ($115 million) to assist 100,000 people (20,000 households) with life-saving relief and early recovery support over the next 24 months,” the group said in a statement.

The UN health agency, the World Health Organization, classified the earthquake’s aftermath “as a Grade 3 emergency — the highest level of activation under its Emergency Response Framework.” The WHO is asking for $8 million to deal with health challenges in Myanmar over the next 30 days amid the disaster.  

Establishing comms to remote areas to deliver aid greatly important, WFP Myanmar director tells DW

DW spoke with Michael Dunford, the World Food Programme’s representative and country director for Myanmar, who talked about types of aid the country needs and the challenges of distributing the assistance.

“There’s a need across all sectors at the moment,” Dunford said from the capital Naypyitaw, mentioning “food, health, water and of course shelter.”

“It’ll be important that we’re able to bring these commodities in quickly and then importantly distribute them to the people in need,” Dunford added. “If we can’t do that, then we’re not going to be able to have the impact that we would want and it means that the population will suffer.” 

Dunford said when it comes to aid operations, “communications has been problematic.”

“We’re trying to establish regular comms to remote locations,” he said. He described Myanmar’s road network as “severely impacted” and said moving commodities from the major cities of Yangon to Naypyitaw “are already taking twice as long as they used to previously.”           

Aid impacted by civil war in Myanmar

Myanmar has already been reeling with civil unrest that has escalated since a 2021 military coup.

The conflict has impacted Myanmar’s largely agrarian economy, leaving essential services, such as health care, in shambles.

“All military and civilian hospitals, as well as health care workers, must work together in a coordinated and efficient manner to ensure effective medical response,” said Myanmar’s junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, according to state-run media.

The entire town of Sagaing, near the quake’s epicenter, was devastated, said resident Han Zin, adding, “We have received no aid, and there are no rescue workers in sight.”

The opposition National Unity Government (NUG), which includes the remaining personnel of the previous administration, said anti-junta militias under its command would pause all offensive military actions for two weeks from Sunday.

“The NUG, together with resistance forces, allied organizations and civil society groups, will carry out rescue operations,” it said in a statement.

At the same time, the Karen National Union, an ethnic armed organization fighting against the government, accused the junta of “carrying out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake.”

Myanmar counting on international aid

The catastrophe-hit country received warships and aircraft carrying relief materials and rescue personnel from its neighbors on Sunday.

India, China and Thailand are among the countries that have sent relief materials and teams of aid workers.

Malaysia, Singapore and Russia have also sent aid and teams to assist in the rescue and relief operations.

Indian aircraft ferried supplies and search-and-rescue crews to Naypyitaw.

The Indian army will also help set up a field hospital in Mandalay, and four naval ships with essential supplies have departed for  Myanmar’s commercial capital of Yangon, said Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

China has also sent multiple ships with teams of rescue workers.

Singapore sent a 78-member team, accompanied by rescue dogs, Myanmar state media said.

The United Kingdom has also promised to provide up to £10 million ($12.9 million) in “life-saving aid” for Myanmar.

“The UK is sending immediate and life-saving support to the people of Myanmar following the devastating earthquake,” Minister of State for Development Jennifer Chapman said.

European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova told DW that an aid delivery to Myanmar would “start soon.”

“We hope that the aid sent from European Union will be delivered very quickly,” Hrncirova said. “We reacted in a couple of hours, and we are releasing two and a half million of initial emergency assistance.”

She said, “The next steps need to be evaluated according to the situation on the ground.”