A month after the devastating earthquake struck Myanmar, the earth continues to shake, exacerbating an already extremely precarious situation. Aftershocks, a common phenomenon in active regions such as this, could continue for months. The hardest-hit communities still face a severe shortage of safe shelters, clean water, adequate sanitation, stable electricity, health care and other essential services. Despite the complexity of the context, CESVI workers in the field are working tirelessly to provide vital aid to the population in dire need.
Human toll and growing psychological impact
To date, official estimates report at least 3,700 deaths, 4,800 injured and 129 people missing. However, due to difficulties in collecting and verifying data, it is feared that the real toll is significantly higher. At the same time, the psychological burden on the population is steadily increasing, particularly among children and the most vulnerable groups, who are living with the uncertainty of prolonged displacement, aggravated by continuous aftershocks, unseasonal rainfall and extreme heat.
CESVI’s commitment and the arrival of aid
After the first two cargo flights arrived in recent weeks, a third plane from Europe landed in Yangon, bringing with it further humanitarian aid. CESVI is distributing a total of 104 tonnes of urgent humanitarian aid. These days, CESVI field teams are actively engaged in delivery and distribution operations to more than 15,000 people living in the most affected and hard-to-reach provinces, particularly in southern Shan, Mandalay and Sagaing. More shipments are expected in the coming weeks.
The aid we are distributing includes a wide range of essential goods to meet the needs of the population:
- 1,000 family tents measuring 23 square metres
- 1,600 plastic sheets to insulate the tents from the ground
- 1,920 boxes of water purification tablets (one tablet can purify 20 to 50 litres)
- 1,000 solar LED lamps
- 1,000 solar torches
- 1,600 kitchen sets for 5 persons (including pans, pots, plates and cutlery)
- 1,600 emergency shelter kits (containing tools such as hammers and nails for building, insulating and repairing temporary shelters)
Humanitarian consequences and protection risks
The overcrowded and inadequate living conditions in makeshift camps are generating considerable psychological and emotional stress among affected families. This precarious environment significantly increases the risk of protection problems, including exploitation and abuse, with a particularly severe impact on children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Many survivors are forced to live in makeshift shelters or sleep in the open, exposing themselves to extreme heat and serious risks to their safety. These conditions disproportionately affect women, girls, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with disabilities, increasing the danger of gender-based violence.
Water and sanitation crisis
Significant damage to water systems has left entire communities without access to safe drinking water, forcing them to use unsafe sources and increasing the risk of water-borne diseases. Half of the water systems in the region have been damaged, with the Sagaing region particularly affected, where only one third of the population has access to latrines and toilets and less than one in five people have access to safe drinking water.
The destruction of functioning health infrastructure has deprived many communities of access to basic medical care. Malnutrition remains a serious concern, especially among children, due to disruptions in supply chains and services that have compromised the availability of life-saving nutritional support.
Urgent need for humanitarian intervention
The situation in Myanmar continues to be very complex. CESVI, with the help of supporters, is actively engaged on the ground to provide essential aid and support to the affected communities. But help is still needed. Every contribution is vital to support these communities that have lost everything.