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UN allocates $5 million from emergency fund after 7.7 magnitude quake in Myanmar
Summary
The United Nations emergency relief coordinator made an initial $5 million allocation to support life-saving response after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake centered in Myanmar, and the UN said it is mobilizing teams and assessing needs across the region.
The United Nations announced an initial $5 million allocation from its emergency relief fund to support life-saving assistance and early recovery operations after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake centered in Myanmar.
UN officials said Friday that teams are gathering information on the number of people affected, infrastructure damage and immediate humanitarian needs to guide the response. “We are mobilizing teams and support,” the UN spokesperson said, adding that more updates would be shared as assessments are completed.
UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher authorized the initial $5,000,000 allocation, the spokesperson said. The briefing also noted that Julie Bishop, the UN special envoy for Myanmar, described the earthquake on social media as “heartbreaking” and said her thoughts were with those affected.
The spokesperson added that the quake will compound an already dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, where nearly 20 million people need assistance and more than 3.5 million are internally displaced. The UN said it will coordinate information from the ground to guide the international response and will provide updates as assessments arrive from humanitarian partners.
Reporters asked whether the $5 million allocation was specifically for Myanmar and whether UN disaster-relief search-and-rescue teams including canine units would be deployed; the spokesperson replied that search-and-rescue teams are typically provided by member states while the UN takes the lead on coordination and assessment in support of national authorities.
The spokesperson did not announce a detailed deployment plan or a final damage toll; officials said those details will be released as on-the-ground assessments are completed.
