BANGKOK – In Myanmar, efforts to uncover more victims from the debris of collapsed structures proceeded on Friday, one week after a severe earthquake claimed the lives of over 3,300 individuals. The immediate concern now centers on addressing the pressing humanitarian needs in a nation already beleaguered by ongoing civil strife.
U.N.’s leading humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, who oversees emergency relief, made his way to Myanmar on Friday to catalyze global action post the March 28 tremor. Ahead of his arrival, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called upon the international community to immediately augment their financial assistance for those affected, emphasizing that the response must correspond with the magnitude of the crisis. Guterres also appealed for unhindered access to aid those in dire need. “The seismic event has exacerbated suffering, with monsoon rains nearly upon us,” he noted.
In response to the disaster, Myanmar’s military and key armed resistance factions announced ceasefires to permit the smooth delivery of humanitarian aid. However, the U.N.’s Human Rights Office accused the military of persisting with assaults. More than 60 incidents were reported post-earthquake, with 16 attacks occurring subsequent to the provisional ceasefire declared by the military on Wednesday.
Volker Türk, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, stressed, “I urge an immediate cessation of military actions so the focus can shift to aiding quake victims and ensuring aid organizations can operate without obstruction.” Türk expressed hope that this calamity could pivot the country towards a reconciliatory political resolution.
The military, while announcing its ceasefire, maintained its stance on taking “necessary actions” against resistance factions if they capitalized on the ceasefire to regroup or strategize offensives. The opposition groups reiterated their right to self-defense.
The military took control of Myanmar in 2021, ousting Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, thereby inciting a protracted civil conflict. The recent earthquake has exacerbated an already desperate humanitarian situation. Before this event, the U.N. reported over 3 million individuals displaced and nearly 20 million in urgent need of assistance.
According to state television MRTV, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, leader of the military regime, confirmed a death toll of 3,301 with 4,792 injured and 221 individuals still unaccounted for. He is attending a summit in Bangkok for the Bay of Bengal region’s leaders—a rare trip for a general who generally confines foreign visits to allies such as Russia and China. Western countries have shunned and imposed sanctions on him and his regime for power usurpation and reported human rights abuses.
The United Kingdom responded by pledging an additional $6.5 million, in addition to a prior $13 million for essentials like food, water, and shelter. This contribution aligns with an appeal by Myanmar’s Disasters Emergency Committee.
The World Food Program has managed to reach 24,000 survivors with plans to expand its operations to aid 850,000 individuals with food and monetary support for a month. International search and rescue teams have mobilized, with eight medical crews from countries including China, Thailand, Japan, and others deployed in Naypyitaw. Additional support from India, Russia, Laos, Nepal, and Singapore is operational in the Mandalay area. Teams from Russia, Malaysia, and the ASEAN nations are active in Sagaing.
The U.S. administration committed $2 million in emergency funds, sending a three-person team to evaluate appropriate responses, navigating significant reductions in U.S. foreign aid.
Authorities reported the retrieval of five bodies on Friday from the rubble in Naypyitaw and Mandalay, close to the March 28 quake’s epicenter. The last rescue occurred on Wednesday, roughly 125 hours post-quake, when a man was extricated from the ruins of a hotel in Mandalay.
The seismic activity also affected neighboring Thailand, toppling an under-construction high-rise in Bangkok. Rescue operations continued there on Friday, with a reported 22 fatalities and 35 injuries, predominantly from the building site.