Posted on 04/05/2025 12:31:31 PM PDT by Jyotishi
Bangkok -- Search teams in Myanmar recovered more bodies from the ruins of buildings on Friday, a week after a massive earthquake killed more than 3,100 people, as the focus turns toward the urgent humanitarian needs in a country already devastated by a continuing civil war.
United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, who is also the emergency relief coordinator, will visit the area on Friday in an effort to spur action following the March 28 quake. Ahead of the visit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the international community to immediately step up funding for quake victims “to match the scale of this crisis,” and he urged unimpeded access to reach those in need.
“The earthquake has supercharged the suffering with the monsoon season just around the corner,” he said.
Myanmar’s military and several key armed resistance groups have all declared ceasefires in the wake of the earthquake to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid.
But the UN’s Human Rights Office on Friday accused the military of continuing attacks, claiming there were more than 60 attacks after the earthquake, including 16 since the military announced a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday. “I urge a halt to all military operations, and for the focus to be on assisting those impacted by the quake, as well as ensuring unhindered access to humanitarian organisations that are ready to support,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said. “I hope this terrible tragedy can be a turning point for the country towards an inclusive political solution.”
Announcing its ceasefire, the military also said it would still take “necessary” measures against resistance groups, if they use the ceasefire to regroup, train or launch attacks and the groups have said they reserved the right to defend themselves. Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected Government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into a civil war.
The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than three million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations. Myanmar authorities said Thursday that 3,145 people had been killed in the earthquake, with another 4,589 people injured and 221 missing and did not immediately update the figures on Friday.
Britain, which had already given $13 million to purchase emergency items like food, water and shelter, pledged an additional $6.5 million in funds to match an appeal from Myanmar’s Disasters Emergency Committee, according to the UK Embassy in Yangon.
The World Food Programme said so far it has reached 24,000 survivors, but was scaling up its efforts to assist 8,50,000 with food and cash assistance for one month.
Many international search and rescue teams are now on the scene, and eight medical crews from China, Thailand, Japan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Russia were operating in Naypyitaw, according to Myanmar’s military-run Government.
Another five teams from India, Russia, Laos and Nepal and Singapore were helping in the Mandalay region, while teams from Russia, Malaysia and the ASEAN bloc of nations were assisting in the Sagaing region.
The Trump administration has pledged $ two million in emergency aid and sent a three-person team to assess how best to respond given drastic cuts to US foreign assistance.
On Friday, five bodies were recovered from the rubble in the capital Naypyitaw and the second-largest city of Mandalay, near the epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake March 28, authorities said.
The last reported rescue came Wednesday, some 125 hours after the quake struck, when a man was saved from the wreckage of a hotel in Mandalay. The quake also shook neighbouring Thailand, bringing down a high-rise under construction in Bangkok, where recovery work continued Friday. Overall, 22 people have been found dead and 35 injured in Bangkok, primarily from the construction site.
bttt
I'm cool with this. Myanmar and Thailand are going to need help overcoming this, we can help, but we don't have to be a continuous spigot. It might be better if we could co-ordinate private charity help such as Samaritan's Purse etc., but the earthquake didn't wait for the US government to divest itself of being the help of the helpless.
“. . . we can help, but we don’t have to be a continuous spigot.”
Well put!
--- "...to immediately step up funding ...." and "...to immediately step up funding ...." Because a nation of about 55 million people is not able to react to a humanitarian tragedy. But all the funding needs to flow through middlemen with sticky fingers and a taste for the finer things in life.
Remember the Biden administration's response to North Carolina's tragedy? How about Tom Fletcher's? How about Antonio Guterres'? How about Myanmar's offer to help North Carolina?
Angelina Jolie in Myanmar awhile ago:
https://youtu.be/E1NkJyxX5cY?feature=shared
Nevermind it’s Northern Thailand, but the refugees are from Myanmar.
Let China handle it - or, explain why they cannot.
Burma is run by vicious Communist junta.
I just do not like to send money to communists!
👍👍👍👍👍
Fortunately, the city of Roanapur(*) is far away.
(*) Mostly known from the adult-oriented anime “Black Lagoon”.
I’m giving $1000 to The Clinton Foundation...anybody joining me? /s
A poor, starving and homeless vet should be sent to your home to pick up that thousand dollars.
Let bill Hillary and bush get involved like they did with the Haiti earthquake
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