Myanmar quake: Search and rescue efforts continue in race against time

According to quality reports citing Myanmar’s subject leader, around 1,700 are confirmed dormant from Friday’s 7.7 magnitude quake, with immoderate 3,400 injured and hundreds inactive missing.

In the Thai superior Bangkok which was besides rocked by the seismic event, 76 operation workers are reportedly inactive missing pursuing the illness of an unfinished skyscraper. The decease toll determination present stands astatine 17.

The hunt and rescue effort successful Myanmar is focused connected the large cities of Mandalay and the capital, Nay Pyi Taw. 

Some survivors proceed to beryllium pulled from the rubble and aggregate planetary assistance teams person reached the stricken areas – though the assistance effort is being hindered owed to harm to airports.

Shelter, medicine, water

“People urgently request shelter, aesculapian care, h2o and sanitation support. This catastrophe puts much unit connected already susceptible radical facing an alarming crisis,” the UN assistance coordination bureau successful the region, OCHA, said connected X.

Burmese civilians are besides stuck betwixt forces of the subject junta and galore equipped militia battling for power of the state since a February 2021 coup. More than 3 cardinal person been displaced by the fighting.

The National Unity Government which represents the democratically-elected civilian medication overthrown by the coup, called connected rebel fighters to observe a 2 week ceasefire to let humanitarian assistance to scope those successful need.

But the subject authorities is reportedly continuing to transportation retired airstrikes, including areas adjacent to the epicentre of the earthquake.

Call for ‘immediate ceasefire’

The Human Rights Council-appointed autarkic adept who monitors abuses successful Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said successful a societal media station connected Sunday that the junta should travel absorption forces and state an contiguous ceasefire.

“Military conscription should beryllium suspended; aid workers should not person to fearfulness apprehension and determination should beryllium nary obstructions to assistance getting to wherever it is astir needed. Every infinitesimal counts,” helium added.

The UN reproductive wellness agency, UNFPA, is 1 of the agencies connected the crushed urgently moving with partners and section communities to measure captious needs and present life-saving assistance – peculiarly for women and girls.

Women and girls look ‘increased risks’

In an update, UNFPA said aboriginal assessments item important harm to wellness facilities, colonisation displacement and the disruption of indispensable services, including intersexual and reproductive healthcare.

“In emergencies similar this, women and girls look accrued risks, from compromised entree to life-saving maternal healthcare to heightened hazard of gender-based violence, " said Jaime Nadal Roig, UNFPA Representative for Myanmar.

“UNFPA is committed to supporting alleviation efforts, placing the well-being of women and girls – including large women, mothers, and adolescents – astatine the bosom of our humanitarian effect efforts.”

UNICEF Myanmar's Ko Sai, said successful a station connected X from Mandalay, that the quake was “an implicit catastrophe” for children successful the region, with galore youngsters and families successful Mandalay inactive missing.

“We request urgent assistance, particularly for the children, who often endure the astir successful this benignant of situation,” helium added.

Lifesaving aesculapian supplies

The UN World Health Organization, WHO, has rushed astir 3 tonnes of aesculapian supplies from its exigency stockpile successful Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, to hospitals successful Mandalay and Nay Pyi Daw.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director successful Myanmar, Michael Dunford said successful a tweet that the bureau carried retired its archetypal exigency nutrient organisation successful Nay Pyi Taw connected Sunday which included precocious vigor biscuits “and we're astir to standard up our assistance.”

WHO connected Sunday issued a 30-day flash entreaty for $8 million to present trauma care, forestall illness outbreaks and reconstruct indispensable services that person been decimated by the quake. 

Click present to donate to the UN exigency appeal for Myanmar