UN Urges Aid to Myanmar Quake Survivors as Death Toll Nears 3,000
MYANMAR – The United Nations has called for urgent humanitarian assistance in Myanmar following a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has killed nearly 3,000 people and left thousands more injured or missing. With monsoon season approaching, aid groups warn that the window to find survivors is rapidly closing.
U.N. Special Envoy for Myanmar, Julie Bishop, has urged all sides in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war to cease hostilities and allow humanitarian access to affected areas.
“Continuing military operations in disaster-affected areas risks further loss of life,” Bishop said in a statement.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Myanmar’s military ruler, Min Aung Hlaing, confirmed on Tuesday that the official death toll has reached 2,719, with 4,521 people injured and 441 still missing. Most of those missing are feared dead.
The quake, the most powerful to hit Myanmar in over a century, struck at midday last Friday, reducing entire communities to rubble, including parts of Mandalay and the capital Naypyitaw. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and ongoing civil war has made rescue efforts even more difficult. Rebels have accused the military of conducting airstrikes in the affected areas, further complicating relief operations.
In response, a major rebel alliance, the Three Brotherhood Alliance, declared a one-month unilateral ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid efforts. However, the military has expressed concerns that opposition forces may use the crisis to regroup and launch new attacks.
Aid Efforts and Challenges
U.N. agencies report dire conditions, with rescue teams racing against time to find survivors beneath collapsed buildings. Entire communities have been flattened, leaving thousands homeless. Julia Rees of UNICEF described the psychological trauma among survivors as immense.
“This crisis is still unfolding. The tremors are continuing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. Bodies are still being pulled from the rubble,” Rees said, emphasizing the urgent need for aid.
Among the most tragic incidents was the collapse of a preschool in Mandalay, where 50 children and two teachers lost their lives. However, in a rare survival story, a 63-year-old woman was rescued after spending 91 hours trapped in the debris of a building in Naypyitaw. International teams from India, China, and Russia assisted in the rescue.
Regional Impact and Aftershocks
The earthquake also affected neighboring Thailand, where 21 people have been confirmed dead, and hundreds of buildings have sustained damage. Rescue teams in Bangkok are still searching for survivors in the wreckage of a collapsed skyscraper. Authorities fear up to 70 bodies remain trapped under the rubble, with rescue efforts becoming increasingly desperate.
Despite the crisis, tensions in Myanmar remain high. Amnesty International has accused the military of conducting airstrikes even as it seeks international aid.
“You cannot ask for aid with one hand and bomb with the other,” said Joe Freeman, Amnesty’s Myanmar researcher.
As the situation in Myanmar worsens, global attention is focused on whether relief efforts can be scaled up before monsoon rains further complicate rescue and recovery operations.
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UN Urges Aid to Myanmar Quake Survivors as Death Toll Nears 3,000