Myanmar earthquake tragedy ‘compounds already dire crisis’

Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator Marcoluigi Corsi expressed the UN’s profound atrocious astatine the immense nonaccomplishment of beingness stemming from Friday’s 7.7 and 6.4 magnitude quakes with the decease toll rising to astir 2,000, according to the country’s subject junta.

“The latest reports bespeak important nonaccomplishment of life, wide injuries, and galore inactive unaccounted for arsenic rescue operations continue,” Mr. Corsi said successful a connection connected behalf of the UN Country Team.

Urgent enactment cognition continues

He stressed that the UN and partners proceed to urgently mobilise successful enactment of the exigency response, lasting acceptable to assistance each communities “wherever they are”.

The earthquakes struck adjacent Mandalay and Sagaing, with impacts felt crossed Bago, Magway, Nay Pyi Taw, and parts of Shan State. Hospitals are overwhelmed, portion connection and transport routes person been severely disrupted.

Thousands are sleeping successful the open, fearful of aftershocks and incapable to instrumentality to damaged homes.

UN-facilitated rescue teams from astir 20 countries, including sniffer dogs, paramedics and aesculapian supplies, supported by millions of dollars successful aid, proceed to get successful Myanmar – wherever millions were already displaced by civilian war, arising from the subject coup of February 2021.

Resilience further eroded

“Even earlier this earthquake, astir 20 cardinal radical successful Myanmar were successful request of humanitarian assistance,” Mr. Corsi emphasized. “This latest calamity compounds an already dire situation and risks further eroding the resilience of communities already battered by conflict, displacement, and past disasters.”

The UN Humanitarian Country Team is actively conducting accelerated needs appraisal missions successful coordination with UN agencies, humanitarian partners, section authorities and community-based organizations, paying peculiar attraction to the needs of women, children, the elderly, and radical with disabilities, who are disproportionately affected successful specified disasters.

“Beyond the contiguous response, this situation highlights the urgent request to fortify efforts towards betterment and to put successful measures that assistance communities withstand aboriginal shocks,” Mr. Corsi said.

Significant UN presence

An archetypal $15 cardinal successful exigency funds has been allocated by the UN to enactment the lifesaving response. Medical teams, structure materials, and captious water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) items are arriving – alongside prepositioned and supplementary nutrient aid.

“We person a important beingness successful Mandalay and surrounding areas, and we are doing everything we tin to scope radical successful request contempt superior logistical challenges,” Mr. Corsi said. “But overmuch much volition beryllium required successful the days and weeks ahead.”

More than ever, timely enactment is captious to forestall further deterioration of the crisis, helium added.

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that it aims to enactment 100,000 of the worst deed with ready-to-eat meals, pursuing by nutrient and cash-for-food assistance to astir 800,000 for the adjacent month.

Ceasefire now: UN Special Envoy

The UN Special Envoy connected Myanmar Julie Bishop issued a statement connected Monday saying she stands successful solidarity with the radical of Myanmar.

“The earthquake has laid bare the deeper vulnerabilities facing Myanmar’s radical and underscored the request for sustained planetary attention to the broader crisis.”

Referencing the ongoing struggle which has seen subject forces suffer power of a bulk of the state to absorption equipped groups amid brutal warring and airstrikes, she said that “all sides indispensable urgently let abstraction for humanitarian alleviation and guarantee that assistance workers tin run successful safety.”

Continuing subject operations successful quake-affected areas “risks further nonaccomplishment of beingness and undermines the shared imperative to respond,” she continued.

Ms. Bishop called for an contiguous ceasefire by each parties, to prioritise the rescue, assistance and betterment effort, including extortion of civilians.

She said she was successful adjacent interaction with Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and the UN Country Team successful Myanmar who are moving successful concern with neighboring countries and others, supported by the UN’s determination and planetary network.