Rebuilding lives and livelihoods in the aftermath of Myanmar’s earthquake

Yangon (ILO news) - When the earthquake struck Myanmar in March 2025, it hit communities already facing humanitarian and labour market crises hard. For many, it was not an isolated shock but another blow on top of economic hardship, displacement, job and income loses, as well as prolonged uncertainty. Recovery required more than short-term income. It needed decent work opportunities, practical organization and lasting capacities beyond the immediate emergency phase.

In the 12 months following the earthquake, the ILO’s Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) and vocational skills initiatives supported affected communities through work opportunities, vocational training and by restoring local infrastructure across 22 villages in the Mandalay Region and Shan State. Major efforts were also made to ensure participation of both women and men. 

Key deliverables included: 

• 27,733 workdays generated for 3,014 workers (52% women);
• 393 training beneficiaries (79% women)
• 2.51 km of concrete roads;
• 1.49 km of concrete footpaths;
• 1.55 km of embankment and earthen road works;
• 68 tube wells with handpumps;
• 6 culverts;
• 3 water supply and distribution systems;
• 1 education centre extension;
• 1 skills training centre construction;
• 2 communal latrines;
• 125 household sanitary latrines.

“We are very grateful to the ILO for supporting this skills training centre in our Inle Lake communities. The centre is equipped with sewing machines, weaving machines, computers and other essential materials that will help women and youth continue learning and develop sustainable livelihoods. This support is not only building a training centre, but also creating long-term opportunities and hope for our communities.”  Thin Thin Mu, a community leader from Ywar Gyi Upper Village

“After the earthquake, many of us lost our homes, livelihoods and hope for the future. Through the two-month sewing training supported by the ILO, I gained practical skills that can help me earn an income again. The cash-for-skills opportunity gave us not only training, but also confidence and hope to rebuild our lives.” A Thawe Moe, a sewing training participant from Tha Lae Oo Kone Village

But the ILO’s contribution went beyond physical rehabilitation. A key part of the approach was to organize local participation through village development committees, which helped identify priorities, support implementation and strengthen local ownership. Rather than treating communities simply as recipients of assistance, this created a more structured platform for decision-making, oversight and engagement.

At the same time, the ILO worked closely with local civil society organizations to transfer practical know-how that could improve the quality and accountability of recovery efforts. This included approaches and standards that many local actors had not previously applied systematically, such as public auditing, occupational safety and health (OSH) measures, social insurance awareness and stronger attention to labour-related protections. These elements helped shift the focus from simply completing works to carrying them out in a safer, more transparent and more socially grounded way.

“Through our partnership with the ILO, we were able to support earthquake-affected communities not only by rebuilding essential infrastructure, but also by strengthening people’s skills and livelihoods. Community members actively participated in the recovery process through infrastructure works, masonry, sewing, weaving and entrepreneurship trainings. This approach helped communities regain income opportunities, confidence and hope while promoting safer, more inclusive and community-led recovery efforts.”  Khun Chit Oo, Parami Development Network

This institutional dimension mattered because recovery in fragile settings is not only about what is built, but also how it is built, who participates and what local capacities are left behind. The ILO’s support aimed to show that even in highly constrained environments, recovery activities can embed better governance, safer working methods and more inclusive community processes. Masonry training was also linked to the infrastructure component, allowing participants to support implementation while building practical skills for use beyond the immediate recovery works.

Such skills initiatives became an important part of the recovery effort. A total of 393 participants received add-on training in masonry, textile sewing and weaving, computer literacy, and entrepreneurship, based on needs identified by our social partners and delivered in partnership with them. For some, the support went beyond training: they secured contracts to sell what they produced with the new set of skills, showing that livelihood recovery is stronger when skills development is linked to real income opportunities, and delivered in collaboration with social partners.

In February 2026, the ILO also brought together representatives of the United Nations and development partners for a knowledge-sharing event to present achievements and exchange lessons and highlight the importance of employment-centred recovery. The ILO further supported OSH training and updated partners on its approaches, helping broaden awareness of why safety, accountability and labour standards matter in post-disaster recovery.

In Myanmar, the recovery effort showed that rebuilding after disaster is not only about restoring damaged infrastructure. It is also about helping communities organize, helping partners adopt better practices, and creating local capacities that make recovery safer, more participatory and more sustainable. In a context shaped by multiple-crises, that may be one of the most important achievements of all.

*This article was originally published on the ILO Myanmar website.