Myanmar death toll rises following 7.7 magnitude quake
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The news: The humanitarian crisis in Myanmar deepened on Sunday as the death toll from a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday continued to rise, testing the nation already struggling with civil war.
The numbers: The death toll reached 1,700 people on Sunday, with an additional 3,400 injured and 300 missing according to the country’s military government. 17 deaths were also reported in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, over 600 miles from the quake’s epicentre.
The US Geological Service's predictive modelling estimated Myanmar's death toll could top 10,000 and losses could exceed the country's annual economic output.
The context: Aftershocks continued through the weekend, with 5.1 magnitude quakes reported in Mandalay and Naypyidaw on Sunday.
Myanmar has been entrenched in a civil war since a military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators by military authorities, who overthrew the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a military coup in February 2021.
The National Unity Government, a shadow government composed of former members of Suu Kyi’s party, said on Saturday that it would implement a “two-week pause” in offensive military activity in earthquake-affected areas. The United Nations said that just hours after the earthquake the military carried out air strikes in areas of northern Shan state.
Marcoluigi Corsi, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar said that around 20 million people have been impacted by the natural disaster, and that 19.9 million people were in need of assistance even before the earthquake. Only 5% of the 2025 humanitarian response plan has been funded.
Corsi added that Myanmar has been “reeling from an alarming humanitarian crisis, largely driven by persistent conflict and recurrent disasters. At this critical time, the people of Myanmar urgently need the steadfast support of the international community.”
On Sunday, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said that Australia will provide an initial $2 million to Myanmar through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for immediate humanitarian relief. “Australia does not provide any direct funding to the military regime and takes proactive steps to ensure our assistance does not legitimise the military regime in Myanmar,” a statement by Wong reads.
China, Russia, India, Thailand and Singapore have sent rescue and medical teams to Myanmar to assist aid efforts.
The sources: United Nations, Reuters, Penny Wong statement
