International efforts to deliver aid to Myanmar intensified on Sunday following a destructive earthquake that has exacerbated the crisis in the conflict-ridden nation. Rescue and medical teams from countries including China, Russia, India, Thailand, and Singapore have arrived in the secluded Southeast Asian country. Other regional allies such as Vietnam and Malaysia have also pledged their support.
According to state media, the Myanmar junta reported that the death toll has reached 1,644, with 3,408 individuals injured and 139 missing. These figures are expected to increase. The tremors were also felt in Bangkok, the Thai capital located over 600 miles away, resulting in at least 17 fatalities and 78 individuals missing following the collapse of a high-rise building.
The weekend saw continued aftershocks, with 5.1 magnitude quakes striking Mandalay and Naypyidaw on Sunday. Myanmar, already grappling with decades of conflict and repressive military rule, faces significant challenges in responding to the disaster. A report from the UN Development Programme earlier in the year described the nation, with a population of 55 million, as experiencing a “polycrisis,” with an economy in disarray and a GDP lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The timing of the earthquake compounds the difficulties facing Myanmar, noted Joe Freeman, a researcher for Amnesty International. This natural disaster follows the previous U.S. administration’s decision to freeze foreign aid and reduce USAID operations, though the current U.S. president has indicated that Washington will provide assistance following the quake. Amnesty International has estimated that over one-third of the population will require humanitarian aid this year.
After overthrowing the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military regime has intensified conflict across the country, with pro-democracy groups aligning with armed ethnic insurgencies against the junta. While border regions remain in rebellious hands, areas like Yangon and Mandalay, near the earthquake’s epicenter, are under firmer regime control.
India reported that its military has deployed a team to establish a field hospital near Mandalay and has shipped some relief supplies. Additionally, its navy is sending four ships with humanitarian aid. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on X, formerly known as Twitter, that disaster relief materials, humanitarian assistance, and search and rescue teams were being dispatched promptly to affected areas after speaking with Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing.
China has deployed two emergency rescue teams, and its Red Cross has sent emergency supplies, supplemented by aid from the adjacent Yunnan province. Historically, Myanmar’s military rulers have declined or restricted aid, particularly in rebel-controlled areas.
In 2008, a military dictatorship refused to accept aid, including from the U.S., following Cyclone Nargis, which claimed over 100,000 lives. Recent relief efforts after events like Cyclone Mocha in 2013 and last year’s flash floods faced accusations of the government withholding assistance in rebel territories. Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, highlighted the military junta’s past use of aid access as a tool during natural disasters and called for a robust international response to ensure assistance reaches those affected by the earthquake.
The Centre for Ah Nyar Studies, a human rights organization focusing on central Myanmar, reported that as of Sunday, international aid had not yet reached those in need, with residents of Mandalay conducting rescue operations independently. Some international relief teams received permission to work in Mandalay and Naypyidaw starting Monday, but access to Sagaing, a northern rural area that has faced severe fighting, remains restricted.
International agencies have noted the destruction of hospitals and damage to the primary highway connecting Mandalay and Yangon. In addition, the air traffic control tower at Naypyidaw’s airport collapsed. Amnesty International expressed that a comprehensive assessment of the disaster’s destruction might take time, emphasizing that central Myanmar was also facing military airstrikes and clashes with resistance groups.
Local media reports indicate military airstrikes in northern Shan state occurred hours after the quake. The National Unity Government, comprising former members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, announced a two-week pause in offensive military activities in regions impacted by the earthquake. They also shared intentions to collaborate with UN agencies and international aid organizations to provide emergency assistance and medical support, including in areas under junta control, given safety assurances are provided.
