Imagine you live in a failing society where most of the population lacks access to basic services, including food, water, and healthcare. Continuous outbreaks of violence put your daily life at constant risk, leading to 1 million of your people being displaced and thousands fleeing to neighbouring countries. Your country is marked as a “no-go zone” by many governments due to crimes, torture, sexual violence, and mass killings committed by the military junta against pro-democracy supporters. Your government, which was seized by a military coup four years ago, won’t mobilise. Inflation is soaring. Impoverishment is rapidly spreading across the entire country.
Now, on top of that, add the devastating impacts of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. This is what happened to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar on 28 March 2025. The earthquake brought widespread devastation across Myanmar. The approximate death toll is 3,763, and more than 5,500 people were injured. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed, including homes, hospitals, schools, roads, and bridges, all reduced to rubble. Thousands are being displaced, urgently in need of shelter, and many families have been separated.
Even before the earthquake, Myanmar was one of the most complex humanitarian crises in the world. According to UN Crisis Relief, 18.6 million people in Myanmar – one-third of the population – were already in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection support. The junta has blocked access to humanitarian aid in an attempt to terrorize civilian populations, violating international humanitarian law. The military has also attacked healthcare facilities, restricted transit for humanitarian workers, and arrested workers attempting to deliver food and supplies to the devastated communities.
The recent earthquake has doubled, or even tripled, the severity of this crisis. Transport routes are often blocked by damaged infrastructure and military roadblocks. Despite these challenges due to ongoing armed conflict, the ICRC is actively working to deliver emergency relief to the devastated communities by collaborating with the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) and other humanitarian organizations, such as NGOs and UN agencies. The ICRC provides technical, financial, and material support to the MRSC to strengthen its emergency response capacity. Approximately 600 ICRC staff members are currently providing life-saving assistance in areas affected by the earthquake.
Aid includes medical supplies, water treatment, shelter, and efforts to reconnect families separated during the disaster. To support search and rescue operations for missing people on the ground, the ICRC is providing helmets, ropes, and stretchers to carry the wounded. Amid this emergency, access to food and clean water is even more precarious than usual. The risk of infectious waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea outbreaks is dangerously high. In response, the ICRC is deploying water treatment units and distributing chlorine tablets to ensure safe drinking water. Additionally, food rations and tents are being provided to those who are left with nothing. In the words of Stephanie Xu, Public Relations Officer for the ICRC: “The ICRC teams here in Myanmar have been working endlessly to support the communities that have been affected. We’ve sent convoys with medical kits to over 10,000 people in the last three days.”
In an effort to directly support local communities, the ICRC has also set up community kitchens, distributing meals, cooking utensils, and essential supplies to displaced families. The regional economic impact of the earthquake has been equally devastating. Local markets have been destroyed, while agricultural fields have been badly affected. To address this, the ICRC is planning to provide seeds, farming tools, and fertilisers to help farmers start growing food again, ensuring not only immediate food security but also the long-term recovery of local economies. The ICRC aims to help people rebuild their livelihoods, so they do not remain dependent on short-term humanitarian aid but can gradually regain self-sufficiency.
While organizations like the ICRC and the MRCS are working tirelessly on the ground, the need for humanitarian aid from the global community has never been more urgent. Given the ongoing conflict, it remains unclear how humanitarian organisations can safely and effectively provide aid since the military junta continues to block routes for food, water, and medical supplies. Although the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management has stepped in to support relief efforts, the absence of a ceasefire makes the safe delivery of aid almost impossible. Significant international funding and support are essential to help those affected by the earthquake. Australia has pledged US$ 1.3 million to the ICRC, the USA has committed US$2 million to humanitarian organizations, and the European Union has provided €2.5 million in emergency assistance for food, clean water, shelter, and education in emergencies. Despite the funding, Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis remains complex. Its people lack access to essential services, a civil war is tearing the country apart, and the earthquake has only worsened the already fragile situation. This crisis must not be forgotten, and the international community must continue to advocate for safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians, regardless of political obstacles.
Sara Seregni
- Sara Seregni#molongui-disabled-link
- Sara Seregni#molongui-disabled-link
