“When the Earth Swallowed Us Whole”: Loss, Grief and Strength of Myanmar’s Earthquake Survivors

Myanmar – When a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar in late March of this year, 76-year-old Daw Khin Yee was at home with her daughter. In what felt like a split second, she was buried under the rubble, unable to move.

In excruciating pain, Daw Khin remembers feeling bricks fall on her “like rain”. “I told my daughter, ‘You can’t get me out alone, you need help,’” she recounts. “There was a large stone above me, and I just prayed that it wouldn’t fall.”

Neighbours tried to reassure Daw Khin, telling her to stay still while they called on more people to help. It took four men half an hour to pull her out. Her face, arms and legs were bruised and swollen; her longyi [traditional clothing], torn away during the rescue.

“It felt like the earth swallowed us whole.”

Daw Khin emerged from the rubble to the reality that her home and all her prized belongings were gone – a reality hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar are now facing.

The second deadliest earthquake in Myanmar’s history left over 3,800 people dead, over 5,000 injured, and hundreds still missing. An estimated 17 million people were affected, 2 million of whom need urgent assistance. Prior to the earthquake, 20 million people in Myanmar were already in need of humanitarian aid.

Daw Khin now lives with her family in a makeshift shelter, in front of where her home once stood. Living conditions are dire, with limited access to basic necessities. Impending monsoon rains will make life even more difficult.

Like many in the Mandalay Region, Daw Khin is also grieving the loss of family members: “Two of my teenage grandchildren disappeared during an aftershock, while trying to help others. They never came back.”

With health-care facilities destroyed, she initially treated her injuries with whatever medicine she could find – until she found a mobile clinic operating in her village temple.

Deployed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) within days of the earthquake, mobile clinics are providing urgent health services to those affected. Teams of doctors, nurses, midwives and health educators are on hand to treat physical ailments but also psychological ones, providing vital mental health and psychosocial support.

Thanks to this, Daw Khin has received proper follow-up care and treatment. “I received enough medicine for my injuries,” she says. “I still cannot sleep well from all the distress, but the medicine helps me get by.”

Daw Khin and other receive care from mobile clinics for health conditions caused or exacerbated by the earthquake. Photo: IOM/Nang Seng Noung

To date, IOM’s mobile clinics have provided medical consultations and care for over 3,700 patients. The Organization has also airlifted 90 tonnes worth of life-saving relief (over 70,000 items) and delivered cash assistance to over 7,300 people.

In many locations, humanitarian efforts are reinforced by strong networks of local groups and volunteers, whose resilience and solidarity ensure that communities can respond swiftly and effectively to challenges.

U Kyaw Win, age 78, is a perfect example of this strength and resilience. Despite living through a nightmare of his own, he is doing his best to provide for his family and help his community where he can.

“I had no time. I ran for my life. In just a few moments, everything I owned turned to ash,” he says, recalling the fire that broke out in his home after the earthquake.

Since then, he and his family have been living in the same temple from where the mobile clinic operates. They rely on donations of food, clean water and clothing. “Thank God for our community. People shared what they had with one another right from the start.”

His age isn’t holding him back from lending a hand at the clinic. “I can help too, even in small ways, like providing a chair or a table if they need one.”

Nearly two months after the earthquake, the road to recovery remains long and arduous for those who lost everything.

“The needs on the ground remain immense – everything from shelter, food, water, health care and sanitation,” says Daihei Mochizuki, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Myanmar. “A swift and inclusive recovery is only possible with the required support. More than ever, the international community needs to stand with the people of Myanmar.”

Daw Khin and U Kyaw, like many others, are taking things one step a time. While they may feel despair at the extent of destruction all around them, they are still reluctant to ask for help, concerned about those who are even worse off than them.

“I truly appreciate every donation, big or small. If there’s support available for rebuilding homes, I would be grateful – not just for myself, but for everyone affected,” says Daw Khin. “The earthquake affected so many people, which is why I don't feel comfortable asking for anything.”

Despite her suffering and grief, she maintains a resolute sense of hope. “I just want to rebuild a simple hut, something that would give me peace of mind.”

*This story was originally published on the IOM Myanmar website.