One month on: The persistent impacts of the Myanmar earthquakes

One month after two powerful earthquakes struck Myanmar on 28 March, millions of people are still struggling to cope with the devastating impacts. Although international attention has faded, for the communities shattered by the earthquakes and the front-line workers continuing to assist them, the emergency for most is far from over – it is another crisis on top of the challenges already facing the people of Myanmar.

In Mandalay and Sagaing, I met families who had lost some loved ones, some lost their homes, some lost everything. Across some of the hardest-hit areas, people told me they are too afraid to go back into their homes, worried they could collapse at any moment with the ongoing aftershocks. And the families I met are not alone – at least 55,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes. One month on, countless people continue to live in the open, some in makeshift tents, exposed to harsh weather and serious protection risks. This earthquake has pushed those already vulnerable — among them women, children, physically disabled, the elderly and marginalized communities — even deeper into crisis.

Humanitarians, alongside local organizations, are working tirelessly to deliver life-saving assistance to those who need it the most. Since the earthquakes, we have together provided at least 600,000 people with safe water, sanitation and hygiene support — vital for their survival. Nearly half a million people received food assistance, and at least 117,000 people received emergency shelter and non-food item assistance. 

But this is still not enough. More than 6.3 million people are in urgent need of support in the areas most affected by the earthquakes. Humanitarian organizations are making every effort to reach people impacted by yet another crisis. At this critical moment, additional and quick disbursement of resources and sustained access to all communities are vital to ensure that the situation does not deteriorate even further for people already living with severe needs. I call on the international community to stand with them — and to support their right to live in safety and dignity.