The fatal earthquake that struck Myanmar last Friday with a magnitude of 7.7 has left more than 2,700 dead and thousands injured, leaving huge damage to infrastructure and vital services. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued a grim prediction of an acute shortage of essential items like shelter, clean water, and medicine in the areas affected by the earthquake.
OCHA Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar Marcoluigi Corsi drew attention to the desperate situation, noting that survivors are forced to sleep outdoors due to no electricity and no running water. The UN also worries about the outbreaks of cholera because sources of drinking water have been contaminated, water pipes and septic tanks were destroyed. “It is critically urgent – the number one priority is water,” UNICEF Deputy Representative Julia Rees said in a press briefing, adding the increasing heat conditions aggravated the crisis.
Hospitals across the nation are swamped, and medical aid is running low, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. The UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, has rated the emergency as a upper-level crisis and is working feverishly to get life-saving assistance delivered, such as plastic sheeting, sleeping material, and mosquito nets. But response efforts are being severely hampered by destruction of major transportation corridors, with some trips taking nearly twice as long as usual.
The fighting in Myanmar continues to complicate relief efforts, with live explosive ordnance posing a threat to humanitarian personnel in some areas. As the extent of damage widens, international organizations continue to call for unfettered access to provide life-saving aid to the millions of affected individuals.
