International efforts to deliver aid to Myanmar escalated on Sunday, following a destructive earthquake that has compounded the crisis in the already conflict-ridden nation. Rescue and medical teams from China, Russia, India, Thailand, and Singapore arrived in Myanmar, while other regional partners, including Vietnam and Malaysia, have pledged their support.
The military junta reported 1,644 fatalities and 3,408 injuries, with 139 people still missing, according to state media. These figures are expected to increase. The earthquake also claimed at least 17 lives in Bangkok, Thailand, more than 600 miles away, with 78 others reported missing following a high-rise building collapse.
The weekend saw continued aftershocks, including 5.1 magnitude quakes hitting Mandalay and Naypyidaw, the capital, on Sunday. Responding to the earthquake poses a significant challenge for Myanmar, a country plagued by decades of conflict and ruled by a repressive military government. A UN Development Programme report from January described Myanmar as experiencing a “polycrisis,” with an economy in disarray and GDP lower than pre-Covid-19 levels.
According to Joe Freeman, a researcher at Amnesty International, the earthquake comes at a particularly difficult time for Myanmar, following the freeze on foreign aid by the Trump administration and the scaling down of USAID. However, the US president has indicated that aid will be provided in response to the disaster. Amnesty International estimates that more than one-third of Myanmar’s population will require humanitarian aid this year.
Since the military overthrow of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021, conflict has intensified across Myanmar, with pro-democracy groups aligning with armed ethnic rebellions against the junta. While some strategic border areas are in rebel control, the regime maintains stronger control over central regions such as Yangon and Mandalay, near the earthquake’s epicenter.
India announced that its military has deployed a team to establish a field hospital near Mandalay and sent aircraft with relief supplies. The Indian navy is dispatching four ships with humanitarian aid. Chinese state media has reported that Beijing sent two emergency rescue teams, and the Red Cross supplied emergency materials. Supplies were also sent from Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar.
In the past, Myanmar’s military governments have denied or restricted aid, especially to rebel-held areas. In 2008, aid was refused after Cyclone Nargis caused over 100,000 deaths. During more recent disasters, like Cyclone Mocha and flash flooding, local relief workers accused the government of withholding aid to areas under rebel control.
Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Myanmar, emphasized the importance of a strong international response, highlighting the junta’s previous use of aid as a tool during natural disasters. The Centre for Ah Nyar Studies reported that international aid had yet to reach affected residents in Mandalay, who were conducting rescue operations independently. Some international relief teams were granted permission to start operations in Mandalay and Naypyidaw from Monday, although access to Sagaing, a region heavily affected by conflict, remained restricted.
International agencies noted that the earthquake had destroyed hospitals and damaged the main highway between Mandalay and Yangon, also collapsing the air traffic control tower at Naypyidaw airport. Amnesty International warned that a full assessment of the earthquake’s damage and impact might take time, pointing out that central Myanmar had also been hit by military air strikes and clashes.
Local media reported that mere hours after the earthquake, military air strikes occurred in northern Shan state. The National Unity Government, comprising former members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, announced a “two-week pause” in offensive activities in affected areas. They affirmed collaboration with UN agencies and international aid organizations to provide emergency assistance and medical support, contingent on safety guarantees.
Additional reporting was contributed by Chris Kay in Mumbai.