Aid groups in Myanmar are urgently calling for shelter, food, and water following a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that has killed over 2,700 people. The death toll is expected to surpass 3,000, with thousands injured and hundreds still missing. However, ongoing civil conflict threatens to block relief efforts.
The quake, Myanmar’s strongest in over a century, caused widespread destruction, including the collapse of a preschool in Mandalay, killing 50 children and two teachers. Survivors are now sleeping outdoors, fearing aftershocks, while emergency teams work against the clock to provide aid.
The U.S. response has been hampered by deep cuts to USAID under Donald Trump’s administration, which recently fired most of its staff and terminated thousands of aid programs. Former USAID official Sarah Charles said bureaucratic delays have further slowed disaster response efforts.
Myanmar’s military junta, which seized power in 2021, has been accused of blocking aid to rebel-controlled areas, with reports of continued airstrikes. Amnesty International has urged the regime to allow unrestricted humanitarian access.
In Thailand, where the quake also caused devastation, rescuers continue searching for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed high-rise, but hopes are fading. Authorities estimate around 70 bodies remain trapped, with only faint signs of life detected.
With rescue operations racing against time and aid struggling to reach those in need, the full scale of the disaster in Myanmar and Thailand is still unfolding.
Source: Swifteradio.com
