RESIDENTS of Myanmar are still living in tents or temporary shelters, three months after the earthquake that struck the country on 28 March. It has claimed the lives of at least 3700 people, and thousands more have been injured.
People are reported to be living in unsafe houses because they have nowhere else to go, and the approach of the monsoon season is bringing fears of further serious risks from rain, bad weather, and diseases. Tearfund quotes one of its local partners on the crisis: “The physical damage is only part of the story. The emotional part runs deep. People are still scared. They live with constant fear of aftershocks.”
Millions of people were already displaced before the earthquake, as a consequence of the civil war between ethnic militias and resistance forces, which broke out in 2021. A further million were in urgent need of aid after the earthquake, which registered 7.7 on the Richter scale. The Archbishop of Myanmar, the Most Revd Myint Oo, visited Mandalay in April, calling urgently for support for people trying to rebuild their homes and places of worship (News, 11 April).
“The devastation caused by the quakes compounded the existing challenges of conflict, displacement, and severe humanitarian needs,” the executive director of the UN Office for Project Services, Jorge Moreira da Silva, said, on a visit to Myanmar last week.
He praised colleagues who had worked swiftly with partners to deliver emergency shelters and clean water, and to deploy infrastructure specialists, but warned that far greater international support was needed. The World Bank estimates total damages at nearly $11 billion, and full reconstruction is expected to cost two or three times more. More than 2.5 million tonnes of debris must be cleared.
Mr da Silva emphasised that reconstruction must be “people-centred, inclusive, and linked to peacebuilding efforts”. The UN has warned that women and girls face disproportionate risks, with more than 4.6 million women of reproductive age — including over 220,000 currently pregnant — deemed to be at heightened risk.
Tearfund’s local partners, not identified for security reasons, have been providing immediate assistance to enable access to emergency supplies, as well as to maternal-health clinics and psychosocial support for vulnerable children. To date, they have reached more than 22,000 individuals.
They report communities as sharing the little that they have and “giving each other strength”. Schools have reopened and children are going back to class. “When I work with families, they tell me this is the hardest thing they’ve ever faced,” a spokesperson said.
“But they also speak with gratitude for the support that came when they needed it most. They speak with hope that with continued help, they can recover. They are strong and resilient, but they cannot do this alone.”
