After the earthquake disrupted life across central Myanmar, recovery in farming communities is being shaped by the need to start again with limited resources. Many farmers lost not only their homes but also their crops and income at a critical moment in the agricultural cycle. As a result, recovery has often meant making difficult choices: between rebuilding shelter and restoring livelihoods. With the return to planting, and with support providing access to seeds and practical assistance, farmers are gradually resuming cultivation, taking the first steps toward rebuilding both their income and food security.Daw Cho Than stood beside the cracked wall of her partially collapsed house, calculating what she could afford to lose.To repair the damage, she pawned half her farmland – three of the six acres her family depended on. Without it, she wasn’t sure how she would plant the next season.“When the earthquake destroyed our home, I had no choice,” she said. “But I worried about how we would continue farming and support our family.”Across central Myanmar, that same calculation – what to rebuild first, and what to sacrifice – has shaped recovery over the past year.When the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck on 28 March 2025, it hit communities already living close to the edge. In Mandalay and Sagaing regions, where agriculture underpins daily life, the damage extended beyond homes. Fields cracked, irrigation systems were disrupted and, in the days that followed, heavy rains destroyed crops that were ready for harvest.Across affected areas, livelihoods were severely disrupted, with around 64 per cent of localities surveyed after the earthquake reporting job losses, alongside crop damage and workplace destruction.In some areas, agricultural losses ranged between 20 and 60 per cent, wiping out income at the start of the planting season. For many farmers, the disaster did not just interrupt a season, it threatened the ability to continue farming at all.In Kyaukse Township, Mandalay Region, Daw Cho Than’s monsoon rice harvest provided just enough food to get by, but little else. The loss of her green gram crop meant there was no income to cover rebuilding costs, healthcare or the next planting season.Faced with limited options, she pawned land to repair her home, knowing only too well this was a decision that will take time to reverse. Her experience reflects a broader reality: without access to affordable credit, even basic repairs can come at the cost of long-term productivity.In Sagaing Region, Daw Mar Yee faced a similar pressure. As the sole provider for her family, she needed to repair her damaged roof while continuing to support her husband, who has a disability.“The cash support came at the right time,” she said. “Without it, I would have had to borrow money with high interest just to repair our roof.”In the months that followed, stabilization efforts helped households bridge immediate income gaps, including through short-term employment and livelihood inputs. Nearly 6,000 people were supported through cash-for-work activities, while more than 28,000 people received inputs to restart livelihoods. UN agencies, including UNDP, has supported close to 4,800 cash-for-work opportunities and reached more than 28,000 people with livelihood inputs, illustrating the scale of support provided alongside other partners.Starting again with what is leftFor most people, seeds are easy to overlook – something small, inexpensive, almost incidental. But in farming communities, they are the starting point of everything. Without seeds, there is no planting. Without planting, there is no harvest, no income, and no way to recover.After the earthquake, many farmers had lost not only their crops, but also the seeds they would normally save or buy for the next season. Local markets had stalled, turning what is usually routine into a barrier. For many families, access to seeds marked the difference between waiting and beginning again.In the weeks that followed, some farmers were able to return to their fields as support reached communities, including assurance delivered by the UN agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its partners, providing seeds, basic inputs and practical guidance to restart production.For Daw Cho Than, this meant planting again.Using techniques introduced through training, she cultivated green gram on her remaining land during the winter season. The results were modest but enough to begin rebuilding — saving seed for the next cycle and selling a portion to others struggling to find quality inputs.“The Good Agricultural Practices training and seeds helped me start over again,” she said. “Now I can save seeds for the next season and even sell them when others need them.”The training focused on practical adjustments: how to manage soil altered by the earthquake, conserve water and reduce input costs using locally available materials. In a landscape reshaped by both the earthquake and subsequent flooding, recovery has depended not only on restoring inputs, but on adapting how farming is done. These efforts were part of wider support provided by the UN agencies including FAO and local partners working with 9300 farming households across affected areas. Such efforts have helped thousands of farming households resume cultivation, not replacing what was lost but restoring a degree of stability.Not all livelihoods could be restored in the same way.In parts of Shan State, where support from organizations such as Mercy Corps has focused on restoring mixed livelihoods, families depend on a mix of farming and fishing, the earthquake disrupted not only crops but the tools needed to sustain daily life. For U Kyaw Soe, the loss of his boat engine made it difficult to fish, transport goods and move between places.Replacing it allowed him to return to work more regularly, increasing his daily catch and easing the strain on his household. “The boat engine was urgently needed and has already made a significant difference for the entire family,” he said.For families like his, recovery has meant restoring not only what they grow, but the means to sustain a range of livelihoods. Alongside these efforts, support has also extended to small businesses and skills development, helping people diversify income sources beyond agriculture. Across affected areas, hundreds of people have participated in group-based livelihood activities, business development training and technical and vocational education, while micro, small and medium enterprises have received start-up support to resume operations. UNDP-supported programmes have reached over 700 people through group livelihoods, more than 400 through business training, and supported vocational training and enterprise recovery initiatives.But even with support, recovery has not been straightforward.In some areas, fields were buried under sand or altered by shifting water levels after the earthquake and flooding that followed. In Mandalay’s Yamethin Township, U Thein Min Htet found his rice fields severely affected.“We thought only groundnut could grow here now,” he said. “But with the support we received, we were able to plant again. It gave us hope and a way forward.”Adapting has required more than inputs. It has meant learning how to farm under new conditions. For many farmers, recovery is no longer about restoring previous harvests, but about adjusting to a changed environment.Progress, but still fragileThere are signs of progress.Fields that once lay idle are being cultivated again. Farmers are returning to markets with small but growing harvests. In some communities, seeds are being shared among neighbours, helping others restart production.But recovery remains fragile. For households that lost both shelter and income, progress has been slow and is shaped by limited resources and the need to balance immediate needs with long-term survival.Recovery efforts are expected to scale up significantly in the coming period, with plans to reach up to 150,000 people through cash-for-work and 250,000 through livelihood inputs. UNDP is expected to contribute to a substantial share of this scale-up, alongside continued support for skills development, enterprise recovery and access to finance, including targeted support to small businesses and training opportunities.While these efforts have helped many families begin again, a large number of households continue to face ongoing livelihood challenges, with limited assets, reduced income and uncertainty about future harvests. Continued, coordinated support will be essential to ensure recovery can be sustained and expanded.For Daw Cho Than, the improvement in her harvest is only part of the story. The land she pawned to repair her home is still out of reach.Recovery, she says, is not about returning to what was lost.It is about finding a way forward, with less than before. This story is informed by field inputs and programme data from United Nations agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations and local partners supporting recovery efforts in earthquake-affected areas of Myanmar, including the provision of livelihoods support, agricultural inputs, cash assistance, training and essential services.

Recovery in Myanmar is not only measured by what has been rebuilt, but by whether people are able to return to daily life. Many continue to live with the psychological impact of the disaster – fear that disrupts sleep, anxiety that limits movement, and loss that shapes how people make decisions. In this context, mental health and psychosocial support has become a critical part of recovery, helping people regain a sense of stability, reconnect with others, and rebuild their lives.In a small group session in Mandalay, Daw Khine had been asked to draw her face, then crush the paper into a ball. Slowly, she was asked to unfold it again.The cracks and creases remained, but her face was still there. “I realised how much I had been holding inside”, said Daw Khine.When the earthquake struck last year, she ran as her wooden home collapsed behind her. She survived. But long after the shaking stopped, the fear stayed. “I couldn’t sleep. My mind always went back to that moment,” she said.For many across central Myanmar, recovery has not only been about rebuilding what was destroyed. It has also meant living with what cannot be seen. Sessions like these, supported by organisations including the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and funds managed by the agency, and local partners, have created space for people to begin processing their experiences after the earthquake.When recovery is not only physicalIn Mandalay and Sagaing Regions, where the earthquake caused widespread destruction, the demand for mental health and psychosocial support has not faded with time. It has grown.In many communities, however, speaking about mental health is not always easy. Emotional distress is often kept private, discussed within families or not at all. For some, seeking support can simply feel unfamiliar.“It has been one year since the earthquake, but more people are now coming forward to seek help,” said Daw Su Su, a volunteer supporting affected communities. “Even now, I still see fear and concern in people’s eyes.”Aftershocks continue to trigger memories of the disaster. For some, the ground no longer feels stable – even when it is.“When people come to us, we first try to help them feel safe,” she said. “If they need more support, we provide counselling or refer them for further care.”These services, supported by organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, have expanded access to mental health care in affected communities.But recovery, she explains, is not only about trauma.In the aftermath of disasters, mental health support is often less visible than food, shelter or livelihoods assistance, but no less essential. Without it, many people struggle to return to daily routines, to work, or to care for their families. Fear, anxiety and grief can quietly shape decisions, limit movement and affect whether people are able to rebuild their livelihoods at all.In communities already facing financial strain, these pressures are often compounded. When families are focused on immediate needs such as repairing damaged homes, finding food, or restoring income, mental health care is often pushed aside, even as the stress of those same pressures continues to build. This kind of support is often delivered by international organisations, local volunteers, organisations and community groups who remain embedded in affected areas long after the immediate response has passed. Their role becomes more important over time, as needs shift from emergency assistance to longer-term recovery. For many communities, these are the only services available in providing consistent, accessible support that helps people regain stability and continue rebuilding their lives.Balancing recovery and daily survivalFor families already living with financial strain, emotional recovery is closely tied to daily survival. Ei Ei*, a mother in Mandalay, spends her days working to support her household. Since the earthquake damaged her home, the challenges have only increased.During the rainy season, water leaks through the roof. Repairs are slow, constrained by what she can afford. At the same time, she has had to find ways to care for her children while earning an income.“The Child Safe Space has been very helpful for both my children and me,” she said. “While I am working, they are in a safe place where they can learn and spend time with others.” Without that support, working consistently would be difficult for Ei Ei.Child-friendly spaces like these, supported by organisations like WHO, and complemented in some areas by initiatives such as UNICEF’s recreation kits, provide structured environments where children can learn, play and begin to recover.For her, the support is practical as much as emotional. It allows her to work, knowing her children are safe. “My children enjoy going there,” she said. “As a mother, I want them to feel safe and happy.”For children, recovery often takes a different form.Inside these spaces, support something goes beyond supervision. Through structured activities, drawing and play have become ways to express experiences that are difficult to explain. Images of broken homes and dark shapes appear on paper, fragments of memory, translated into something visible. While some images are not always easy to interpret, it offers a way for children to process fear, regain a sense of normalcy, and begin to make sense of what happened.Similar activities, supported through programmes including those implemented by UNOPS  and funds managed by the agency, and partners, have helped children express and process their experiences in safe and structured ways.Regaining independence, step by stepRecovery takes many forms – from returning to work and daily routines, to adapting to new physical realities.In Sagaing Region, U Sein lost his right hand when the building he had taken shelter in collapsed during the earthquake. For a farmer and head of household, the loss affected every aspect of his daily life. With emergency health care services and support, he received a prosthetic hand.“I am not ashamed anymore about my lost hand,” he said. “Before, I always tried to hide it.”The change has allowed him to return to daily activities and continue supporting his family. For him, recovery meant being able to work again. But just as importantly, it has restored a sense of confidence.Across affected areas, similar support has helped people regain mobility and independence, whether through rehabilitation services, assistive devices, or community-based care. For Daw Aye Aye*, a 70-year-old survivor, receiving a wheelchair meant being able to move again after her injury.“Before, I could go to the market and support my family,” she said. “Now it is difficult. But the wheelchair allows me to move and visit my neighbours. It makes me feel more alive.”Across these experiences, recovery is not only about rebuilding homes or restoring income, but about regaining the stability that makes both possible.“What happened has already happened,” Daw Khine said. “Now I must focus on living.”She still thinks about the piece of paper, the one she crumpled and unfolded. The creases are still there. But over time, she says, they become easier to carry. *Some names have been changed for safety reasons to protect the identities of those interviewed.This story is informed by field inputs and programme data from United Nations agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations and local partners supporting recovery efforts in earthquake-affected areas of Myanmar, including the provision of livelihoods support, agricultural inputs, cash assistance, training and essential services.

A year after the earthquake, recovery is taking shape not only in what has been rebuilt, but in how communities are reconnecting. Across affected areas, the restoration of roads, pathways and public infrastructure is helping people return to daily routines such as accessing markets, schools and services, and gradually rebuilding livelihoods. Often led by communities themselves, these efforts are laying the foundations for a recovery that extends beyond physical repairs.In a village near Nay Pyi Daw, what had once been a muddy path is now a concrete road lined with solar-powered streetlights. For years, residents had worked to build it themselves. When the earthquake struck, the effort stalled, with nearly 900 metres unfinished.When construction resumed, it was not simply about finishing what had been left behind. It was about restoring a connection – to schools, to health services, to work, and to daily routines.“The road is important for commuting to school, for daily work and for health,” one youth volunteer said. “Before, it was muddy and very difficult to travel.”Now, even in the rainy season, people can move more freely. Children reach school more safely. Small-scale farming and local activities, once disrupted, are gradually resuming. Across earthquake-affected areas of central Myanmar, recovery has often begun in similar ways — by restoring the pathways that allow everyday life to function. In some locations, these efforts have been complemented by support from partners such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), including the installation of solar-powered lighting to improve safety and accessibility along rehabilitated roads.Restoring the links that sustain daily lifeWhen the earthquake struck on 28 March 2025, it damaged more than homes. Roads split, water sources were disrupted, and access to markets, schools and clinics became uncertain.
  In the immediate aftermath, large volumes of debris had to be cleared before recovery could begin. An estimated 3.5 million metric tons of debris required removal to enable safe access and reconstruction. To date, more than 79,560 metric tons have been cleared, enabling access for over 544,000 people, including through efforts supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Additional clearance of over 108,000 metric tons is planned, alongside debris sorting and recycling to repurpose materials and create income opportunities for affected communities.Restoring these connections has required sustained support over the past year. Across affected areas, efforts to repair roads, rehabilitate community infrastructure and restore access to basic services have been supported by a range of international and local partners, working alongside communities themselves.In Mandalay’s Amarapura Township, where daily income depends on the steady movement of goods and customers, damaged roads brought activity to a halt.“Our sales declined after the earthquake because no one could get through,” said Daw Khin San Lwin, who has run her shop for over thirty years.As access improved, so did business. Goods could be transported again, customers returned, and routines slowly resumed. “My business is alive again,” she said.In this way, repairing infrastructure has not only restored physical access, but also helped revive local economies and reconnect communities to the systems they rely on. While the scale of needs remains significant, these investments have helped re-establish the conditions for daily life, allowing people to move, work and reconnect.Alongside access restoration, housing repair has also been a key priority. Around 24,200 housing units were damaged or destroyed, with approximately 2,500 homes repaired or reconstructed to date, including nearly 2,000 supported by UNDP, benefiting more than 8,200 people. Efforts are expected to scale up further, with plans to support up to 9,500 additional homes.Built with communities In many areas, reconstruction has been shaped by the people it is intended to serve.In Thalay Oo Inn Village, Shan State, Mon Mon Oo, 34, was selected by her community to oversee construction work. She supervises workers, manages materials and ensures wages are paid; responsibilities that place her at the centre of the rebuilding process.“Our development depends on having a good road,” she said.Since completion, travel has become easier, even during the rainy season. Access to services has improved, and local economic activity has begun to return.At the same time, the work has created opportunities beyond the immediate task. For some, it has meant gaining practical skills that can be used in the future.Many of these community-based recovery activities have been supported through livelihoods-focused initiatives, including those led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), helping local workers build skills while contributing directly to reconstruction efforts.Young workers, like 20-year-old Mg Tint Zin, have developed an interest in continuing in construction, building on what they have learned through hands-on experience and skills training.Across affected areas, rebuilding has also changed how decisions are made. Community members describe a shift toward more open and inclusive processes, where discussions are held publicly, and a wider range of voices are involved.In Shan State, community leader U Sai Aung Hlaing explained that decisions are now made through consultation, with input from different groups within the village. In Mandalay Region, similar approaches have emerged, with women and young people taking on more visible roles in discussions and planning. Across affected areas, community mechanisms have been mobilized and strengthened to plan and lead recovery activities. For example, UNDP has supported around 2,500 such mechanisms, illustrating the scale of community-driven recovery efforts.Trust has become an important part of this process.In some communities, residents have been directly involved in reviewing work as it progresses — checking records, inspecting construction, and confirming that what was planned has been delivered. For Daw Aye Aye Than, this level of transparency was new. Being able to see and verify the work, she said, helped build confidence and a stronger sense of shared responsibility.Recovery that brings people togetherIn some places, rebuilding has also created new connections.Activities linked to reconstruction and skills development have brought together people from different backgrounds who might not otherwise have worked side by side.Women from different ethnic communities in Shan State have spent time learning and working together, sharing skills and supporting one another. What began as training has, in some cases, developed into ongoing collaboration — with women producing for local markets together.In Mandalay Region, similar cooperation has taken place on construction sites, where people from different religious backgrounds have worked alongside one another. As one community supervisor described it, the work itself became a shared experience – rebuilding roads, laying pathways and contributing to something that serves everyone. These interactions, while informal, have contributed to a broader sense of connection – an aspect of recovery that is less visible than infrastructure, but no less significant. Community-driven recovery efforts have also helped strengthen social cohesion, reducing the risk of tensions and supporting more inclusive local development.Foundations for what comes nextOne year on, the signs of recovery are becoming more visible. Roads are repaired, access has improved, and movement is easier. But the impact of these changes goes beyond what can be seen.They shape how people reach services, how they earn a living, and how communities organize themselves for the future.Critical infrastructure recovery has also progressed across affected areas, with community facilities, irrigation systems and essential services being restored. To date, hundreds of facilities have been rehabilitated or constructed, improving access to services and livelihoods for more than 466,000 people, including water support reaching 200,000 people. With continued support from partners such as UNDP, these efforts are expected to expand significantly, with plans to restore or construct over 1,000 additional facilities reaching approximately 1.3 million people. In many areas, systems are already in place to maintain what has been rebuilt, managed by the communities themselves.At the same time, significant needs remain.Many communities continue to face gaps in access, services and infrastructure, requiring sustained support to ensure that recovery reaches all affected areas. How recovery unfolds in the years ahead will depend not only on what is rebuilt, but on how these efforts continue to support people in reconnecting with the systems they rely on every day. This story is informed by field inputs and programme data from United Nations agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations and local partners supporting recovery efforts in earthquake-affected areas of Myanmar, including the provision of livelihoods support, agricultural inputs, cash assistance, training and essential services.
 

Yangon, Myanmar — In a country where conflict, displacement and disaster intersect daily, humanitarian work is often described in numbers. But for the frontline responders who serve Myanmar’s most vulnerable communities, numbers are never the full story.In early 2024, UNFPA began investing in the strategic and meaningful initiative: training frontline humanitarian responders to tell stories — ethically, responsibly, and with respect  .What started as field-level “storytelling” training in Kachin, Rakhine, Shan, and Kayin States has grown into a wider movement that has been convening annually, in 2025 and 2026, during the granting of the UNFPA Humanitarian Storytelling Awards events.At its core, the initiative asks a simple question:
How do we ensure that the lived realities of women and girls are heard — without causing harm?Restoring the Human Dimension“In a crisis as complex and protracted as Myanmar’s, we often speak in numbers,” said Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar at the 2026 awards ceremony. “These figures matter. They help us plan, advocate, and mobilise assistance. But numbers alone cannot convey what it means for a mother to reach care when roads are unsafe, for a girl to stay in school when her family is under strain, or for a survivor of violence to seek help when stigma and fear are constant companions.”Gwyn added: “Stories—told ethically and with care—restore the human dimension. They remind us that humanitarian action is ultimately about dignity, rights, and lives.”The storytelling initiative was designed around that principle.Through 12 structured trainings across Kachin, Rakhine, Kayin, Shan, Mandalay and Yangon between 2024 and 2025, frontline responders learned not only how to write compelling narratives, but how to:Apply do-no-harm principlesUse non-stigmatising languageApply disability inclusive contentLink human stories to humanitarian impactThe goal was not visibility, but accountability to affected communities. Stories That Protect, Not ExposeFor Naw Dorise Day and Naing Naing Nay Thazin, the training reshaped how they approached documentation.Their award-winning story, A Day of Joy, follows Ma Maw Oo, a 42-year-old woman in Sagaing Region who feared she might not survive childbirth amid insecurity and blocked roads. When her blood pressure rose dangerously during labour, a trained village midwife coordinated urgent referral — ensuring she reached the hospital in time to deliver safely. The story was selected not only because of its emotional power, but because it clearly demonstrates how community-based referral systems protect lives when access is fragile.One of the storytellers reflected after receiving the award, “Through the training, we learned how to centre the community’s voice — not just their condition. It changed how we listen.”Similarly, in Shan State, Hnin Pwint Soe documented the journey of a woman who experienced intimate partner violence and had long believed violence and abuse were “normal.”Writing this story required great care to protect her safety, privacy and dignity. The storytelling must never expose women and girls to further harm.”Her story, Journey to the Light, shows how the gender-based violence services are essential and community awareness sessions can shift mindsets and reduce isolation for survivors — without sensationalising trauma. From Training to RecognitionThe first UNFPA Storytelling Awards were held with participation of community storytellers and donor agencies in February 2025 in Yangon — marking a shift from training delivery to institutional recognition.The initiative had expanded into broader storytelling topics such as child focused storytelling, disability inclusive storytelling, etc., and strengthened partnerships with different UN agencies, women organizations and civil society organizations;One such story, The First Step Toward a Brighter Future, documented the rehabilitation journey of seven-year-old Nan Kham Sett, who regained mobility and returned to school after disability screening and physiotherapy support.This story reminded us that inclusion is not abstract. It is about a child walking back into a classroom with confidence.And in Mandalay Region, Nan Hnin Yu Yu Lwin documented how a midwife’s intervention after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar prevented a threatened miscarriage and saved the life of the affected woman — turning fear into survival.“These stories inform our collective understanding, strengthen accountability to affected communities, and help us advocate for the resources that are urgently needed,” Gwyn emphasised. Ethical Storytelling as Humanitarian PracticeThe initiative has gone beyond putting forward powerful narratives. It has:Strengthened coherence among humanitarian partnersElevated frontline responders as knowledge holdersStrengthened storytelling standards in communicationsEnhanced localisation of humanitarian voiceEthical communication is not simply about visibility. It is about doing no harm, protecting individuals and communities, and ensuring that voices are represented with consent, accuracy, and respect.For the awardees, the recognition affirmed a deeper responsibility.“Through the training, we learned that every story carries responsibility—to tell it truthfully, ethically, and with  respect.” A Call to ActThe Humanitarian Storytelling Awards 2026 honoured eight outstanding narratives. But the broader impact lies beyond the award.In a humanitarian landscape where fatigue can set in and crises stretch on, ethical storytelling reconnects with affected people from the communities.It reminds decision-makers that behind every data point is a human life navigating uncertainty and challenges—and often extraordinary resilience.As the ceremony concluded, the message resonated clearly:Stories are not simply records of hardship or resilience.
They are calls to act — to protect rights, uphold dignity, and invest in hope.And in Myanmar today, those calls are being written — carefully, courageously — by the very frontline responders who serve their communities every day. * This story was originally published on the UNFPA Myanmar website.