Our city of Mandalay, Myanmar, was recently left in shambles after a series of damaging earthquakes struck the region. According to the latest estimates, the death toll has crossed more than 1,000 as rescue work continues amidst strenuous conditions. The earthquake has left the region in horrific conditions including record high temperatures, widespread destruction, and overwhelmed local resources that have triggered international aid responses. The United Nations and many non-governmental organizations have had very difficult choices to make in Myanmar. That meant eliminating hundreds of programs since the Trump administration slashed budgets for the United States Agency for International Development.
During the aftermath of that disaster, Mandalay city was understandably in critical need of humanitarian assistance. According to local authorities, more than 2,000 instances of damage were reported. Those photographs demonstrate the scale of catastrophic destruction, with block after block of dozens of buildings completely leveled. An aid worker from Amarapura reported that one-fifth of the structures in the affected zone are leveled. He painted a dramatic picture of the devastation. Of the dead, 30 were found in the rubble of fallen multistorey flats. The damage to critical infrastructure in Mandalay was far-reaching. Among the structures destroyed was a hospital and hotel, which put the city in dire need of rescue workers.
“I have never experienced anything like this before – our town looks like a collapsed city.”
Even with the limited resources things are moving ahead with the high use resource that is available where it can be controlled locally. The entire Mandalay city has been hit hardest by the earthquake, and disaster rescue teams and hospitals are now overloaded.
“The whole of Mandalay city was affected by the earthquake. The rescue teams and hospitals are now overrun. We are managing with the resources we have in the neighbourhood.”
International assistance has started to pour in to help stem the crisis. Russia’s emergencies ministry sent two planes with 120 rescuers and specialized equipment. This ban, originally announced by the Russian state news agency Tass, is a real indicator of how quickly the international community’s response to the invasion of Ukraine has come. In terms of international assistance, the United Nations has released $5 million to kick-start relief operations to aid those impacted by the earthquake.
Our southern neighbour Thailand is in a position to help at this crucial juncture. In response, Bangkok city authorities announced plans to send over 100 engineers to Mandalay in the coming weeks to check the safety of the buildings. This new effort is intended to make sure that any remaining buildings are safe and stop the continued loss of life.
While the human toll is yet to be fully understood, as we’ve seen in recent disasters, those impacted will surely take years to recuperate, if at all. The total scale of destruction is still being realized, with estimates already showing thousands of residents have lost their homes and businesses. As rescue operations wind down and recovery begins, the possibility for finding survivors grows slimmer as hope is buried underneath the wreckage.
News organizations such as Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, and Reuters all played a role in the coverage of this breaking story. What’s alarming from their reporting is just how dire the conditions are and that the situation still desperately requires ongoing international assistance.