Myanmar buildings continue to collapse, complicating rescue efforts and creating perilous conditions for those still searching for survivors. Image credit: Al Jazeera
Five days after the tragic 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar, buildings are continuing to collapse, further complicating rescue efforts and endangering those who remain to search for survivors. Myanmar’s ruling junta reports that at least 2,700 people have been killed, with thousands injured and hundreds remaining unaccounted for. The figures will likely swell as recovery efforts intensify.
There have been moments of hope amidst the devastation. Yesterday, the Myanmar Fire Services Department shared a moving video of a man being rescued from the rubble in Naypyidaw, the military’s specially constructed capital. More than 100 hours after the earthquake, rescuers pulled the exhausted man from an air pocket between broken slabs of concrete, to a round of applause from onlookers. A 62-year-old woman was rescued in a similar manner the day before.
Abroad, foreign rescue workers have also been participating in rescue operations. Four Chinese rescuers pulled four people, including a five-year-old boy and a pregnant woman, from the debris on Monday.
However, the danger is not yet over. As aftershocks continue, structurally weak buildings are still crumbling, particularly in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, where two hotels collapsed on Monday night. The constant danger has made it difficult for survivors and rescuers to feel safe.
“We continue to see deaths from other tremors,” stated Michael Dunford, Myanmar representative for the United Nations World Food Programme. “Everyone is sleeping in the open, too scared to go back into their houses, which is making it harder for us to provide lifesaving assistance.”
Humanitarian agencies are appealing for immediate aid, particularly for the far-flung regions already bearing the brunt of four years of civil strife, which displaced millions from their homes and devastated infrastructure. Close to the quake epicenter in Sagaing, medical assistance and food are eagerly awaited by locals.
Amnesty International has reported widening shortages of body bags, candles, and insect repellent, among other staples. The rights group also asserted that the military has been restricting the distribution of supplies, particularly from sources with allegiance to opposition members.
The 2021 junta that took power from Myanmar’s democratically elected government has promised to allow aid to the stricken areas, but human rights organizations are blaming the junta for preventing access to some areas.
“The junta must end its chronic denial of humanitarian assistance and ensure aid reaches people in desperate need,” said Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Bryony Lau.
In response, a strong rebel alliance in Myanmar has called for a temporary ceasefire to permit rescue operations. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, consisting of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Arakan Army, spoke out in support of swift humanitarian action.
However, tensions persist, as was evident on Wednesday when Myanmar’s military fired warning shots at a convoy of Chinese Red Cross workers bringing aid to a region where the army and rebel forces are clashing. There were no casualties reported, and China said relief materials are en route.
Despite rescue efforts being augmented by different foreign teams from Russia, China, and Pakistan, the crisis has yet to pass. Two Indian warships carrying humanitarian relief arrived in Yangon on Tuesday. However, humanitarian officials report that Myanmar’s needs far surpass the response to date.
UN’s Marcoluigi Corsi called on the world to increase aid, noting that Myanmar’s humanitarian needs were chronically underfunded. “Myanmar is not a front-page global crisis, but this is a moment when the world can do more,” he said.
The earthquake also killed 15 people in nearby Thailand, in the nation’s capital, Bangkok, when a partially completed high-rise building collapsed.
Concurrently, the US has been accused of having a limited reaction to the crisis. The latest foreign aid cuts, particularly to USAID, rendered the US unable to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), which typically sends trained rescue teams and equipment after major earthquakes. Top former US officials have cautioned that the absence of US teams may have cost lives in Myanmar.
The US State Department, however, asserts that it is working in collaboration with regional governments to provide assistance.
Despite such challenges, citizens of Myanmar are still struggling to survive amidst the ruins of their country as aid workers from overseas strive to instill hope during the aftermath of this devastating catastrophe.
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