The toll from last week’s earthquake in Myanmar exceeds 3,000, as reported by the country’s authorities. Aid organizations have cautioned that severe heat and heavy rainfall could lead to disease outbreaks among survivors who are currently living outdoors, complicating rescue operations that are already hindered by ongoing civil conflict.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday, one of the most powerful in Myanmar in a century, struck an area with 28 million residents, causing buildings to collapse, communities to be devastated, and leaving many without food, water, or shelter.
The ruling junta reported that the death count has reached 3,085, with 4,715 individuals injured and 341 still unaccounted for.
The remnants of a hotel in Sagaing.
“Cholera is a significant concern for us,” stated Elena Vuolo, deputy head of the WHO’s Myanmar office, referencing a recent outbreak in Mandalay.
The situation is exacerbated by damage to approximately half of the healthcare facilities in the affected regions, including hospitals that were destroyed in Mandalay and Naypyitaw, she noted.
Due to fear of returning home, many people are camping outdoors in temperatures soaring to 38C, and numerous hospitals are establishing temporary facilities.
Ms. Vuolo further mentioned that prolonged crises in Myanmar could lead to illnesses such as skin disease, malaria, and dengue.
A collapsed bridge over a river in Sagaing.
Conditions could worsen for the massive relief efforts, as weather officials have warned of unseasonal rain from Sunday until April 11, which could impact the areas hardest hit by the earthquake.
“I’ve heard that rain is expected within the next day or two,” said Titon Mitra, the UN Development Programme’s representative in Myanmar, during his visit to Sagaing.
“If it occurs, we now have numerous people in temporary shelters and makeshift camps on the streets, which will pose serious problems,” he added, expressing the UN’s worries about potential outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
The extreme weather will compound the difficulties faced by aid and rescue organizations, which have urged access to all affected regions despite the ongoing civil war.
The United Nations Secretary-General has called for a temporary ceasefire following the earthquake, which should lead swiftly to negotiations regarding the civil war.
“The cessation of fighting must lead quickly to meaningful political dialogue and the release of political prisoners,” emphasized Antonio Guterres.
He also urged for an increase in aid before the onset of the monsoon season, mentioning that UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and special envoy Julie Bishop will be visiting Myanmar in the coming days.
People sifting through the debris of a house in Mandalay.
In spite of the widespread destruction, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has departed the disaster-stricken nation to attend a regional summit in Bangkok, Thailand, as per state television reports.
This marks a rare foreign trip for a general viewed as a pariah by numerous nations and currently under Western sanctions and an investigation by the International Criminal Court.
Since seizing power in a 2021 coup that overthrew the democratically elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the military has struggled to govern Myanmar.
The generals have faced international isolation since the coup, and the nation’s economy and essential services, particularly healthcare, have crumbled.
Yesterday, state-run MRTV announced that a unilateral government ceasefire would be enacted for 20 days to facilitate relief efforts following the earthquake, but cautioned that authorities would “respond accordingly” should rebel forces initiate attacks.
This announcement followed a major rebel alliance’s declaration of a truce on Tuesday to support humanitarian efforts.
Ongoing searches in the rubble of a skyscraper under construction in Thailand.
Nearly a week after the earthquake, rescue efforts in neighboring Thailand persist as teams sift through the debris left by the collapse of a skyscraper still under construction in Bangkok.
Rescue workers are utilizing mechanical diggers and bulldozers to clear away 100 tons of concrete in hopes of finding any survivors.
Fifteen individuals perished in the collapse, with 72 still missing. The total death toll in Thailand has reached 22.
