Myanmar is currently grappling with a significant humanitarian crisis, as the demands for aid escalate by the moment, according to officials from the Red Cross.
“This is not merely a disaster; it is a complex humanitarian crisis layered atop existing vulnerabilities,” stated Alexander Matheou, the regional director for Asia Pacific at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). “The magnitude of this disaster is substantial, and the need for support is urgent,” he emphasized, highlighting the critical nature of the situation.
In response to the escalating crisis, the IFRC has initiated an emergency appeal seeking over $100 million to provide life-saving relief and early recovery support for 100,000 individuals affected by the tragedy.
Search for Survivors Continues
In Mandalay, residents are frantically sifting through the rubble of collapsed buildings, searching for survivors as aftershocks continue to tremble the city. These efforts come just two days after a catastrophic earthquake, which claimed the lives of over 1,600 individuals in Myanmar and at least 17 in nearby Thailand.
The first quake, registering a magnitude of 7.7, struck close to Mandalay during the early afternoon on Friday, followed shortly by a 6.7 magnitude aftershock. The tremors caused widespread destruction, leveling buildings, downing bridges, and buckling roads in a city that is home to over 1.7 million people.
As dawn approached, local tea shop owner Win Lwin navigated through the debris of a collapsed restaurant on a main road. “About seven people died here when the quake struck,” he reported to AFP. “I’m looking for more bodies, but I know there cannot be any survivors,” he added somberly. “We don’t know how many bodies there could be but we are looking,” he said, a testament to the grim determination of the residents.
Just an hour later, another small aftershock sent people rushing out of a nearby hotel for safety, reminiscent of a similar tremor felt the previous evening. Firefighters congregated at one of Mandalay’s main fire stations, preparing to respond to various sites throughout the city.
In a glimmer of hope, rescuers managed to pull a woman alive from the wreckage of a collapsed apartment building, prompting a swell of applause as she was transported to safety.
Myanmar’s ruling junta has reported at least 1,644 fatalities and over 3,400 injuries, with approximately 139 individuals still missing. However, due to disrupted communication lines, the complete scope of the disaster remains uncertain, and the toll is expected to rise.
In an extraordinary move, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing made a rare appeal for international aid on Friday, a clear indication of the disaster’s severity. Historically, previous military governments have dismissed foreign assistance even in the wake of significant natural calamities.
Myanmar has endured four years of civil unrest instigated by a military coup in 2021, leading to immense vulnerability among its citizens. Notably, anti-junta fighters have announced a two-week partial ceasefire in regions affected by the quake, according to a statement from the shadowy “National Unity Government.” They pledged to “collaborate with the UN and NGOs to ensure security, transportation, and the establishment of temporary rescue and medical camps” in the territories under their control.
Humanitarian agencies caution that Myanmar is ill-prepared to manage a disaster of this magnitude, particularly as 3.5 million people were already displaced by ongoing civil strife, many facing hunger long before the earthquake struck.
Bangkok Building Collapse
Meanwhile, across the border in Thailand, rescuers in Bangkok are working tirelessly to extract survivors trapped beneath the rubble of a 30-storey skyscraper that collapsed following the earthquake. At least 17 people have been confirmed dead, with dozens still feared trapped under the massive pile of debris.
Bangkok authorities are expected to issue further updates shortly, as efforts continue to uncover potential victims. Workers at the site are utilizing heavy machinery to search for survivors. Sniffer dogs and thermal imaging drones have also been deployed in the hope of detecting signs of life amid the wreckage, located near the bustling Chatuchak weekend market.
The authorities have announced plans to assess and repair 165 buildings that sustained damage throughout the city today.
The unfolding events in Myanmar and Thailand serve as a sobering reminder of the resilience of communities in the face of tremendous adversity and the urgent need for humanitarian assistance.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
