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UN urges stepped-up aid after Myanmar earthquake; agencies report urgent shortages
Summary
UN officials said the earthquake in Myanmar has left widespread infrastructure damage and urgent needs for water, shelter, food and medicine, while humanitarian partners report critical shortages and underfunding.
The United Nations said international relief must be scaled up rapidly after a major earthquake in Myanmar that damaged infrastructure and left communities facing urgent needs for drinking water, sanitation, food, shelter and medicine.
UN spokesperson Steph told reporters that the UN's resident and humanitarian coordinator, Marco Luigi Corci, returned from a two-day visit to Naypyidaw and "said that the most urgent needs are drinking water, hygiene, food, shelter and medicine." The UN and partners are delivering supplies while conducting assessments to determine the full scale of needs.
The UN noted that telecommunications disruptions, damaged roads and debris are hampering response operations. Agencies including UNHCR and UNICEF have moved prepositioned stocks. UNHCR reportedly rushed emergency supplies from Yangon to some 25,000 earthquake survivors in Mandalay and nearby territories. UNICEF said it was delivering emergency water, sanitation and hygiene kits, medical kits and nutrition supplies from prepositioned stocks and mobilizing an additional 80 metric tons of critical supplies from global hubs.
The UN warned the response is critically underfunded: $56,000,000 received so far, about 5% of the $1,100,000,000 the UN has said is needed for the humanitarian response. "This is not enough, of course, given the scale of the disaster," the spokesperson said, noting assessments of earthquake impacts are ongoing and needs may grow.
The UN also emphasized the urgency of delivering relief before the upcoming monsoon season, which could worsen the humanitarian situation. Special Envoy Julie Bishop, the UN said, urged all parties to allow space for humanitarian relief and called on parties to cease hostilities in disaster-affected areas so aid workers can operate safely.
Agencies on the ground reported search-and-rescue operations remain active; the UN said 25 urban search-and-rescue teams from 13 countries were operating in Myanmar. The UN appealed for increased funding and unimpeded access so agencies can scale up lifesaving assistance.
