Relief efforts continue in Southeast Asia after a devastating 7.7 earthquake shook Myanmar and its neighbors on Friday, March 28. Per an update shared by the Myanmar authorities on Saturday, the death toll has risen above 1,600. In addition, authorities report over 3,000 people are injured, with over 100 others missing.
Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, is among the hardest-hit areas, with widespread destruction.
Meanwhile, in Thailand, a total of 18 people have been reported killed by the earthquake so far. 11 of those were at the site of the collapse of a high-rise building under construction. Dozens of people are said to be unaccounted for.
On Sunday, March 30, a 5.1 magnitude aftershock struck near Mandalay, prompting alarm before rescue efforts continued.
Read More: Photos Show Devastating Impact of Powerful Earthquake That Rocked Myanmar and Thailand
Myanmar’s ruling military junta declared a state of emergency in several regions affected by the earthquake on Friday, and called for humanitarian aid in a rare show of international appeal.
Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman said in a statement that the earthquake “could not come at a worse time” for Myanmar, as it still reels from the 2021 military coup and subsequent displacement of masses in a civil war.
“All parties to the armed conflict should be prioritizing the needs of civilians whose lives have been upended in this disaster and ensuring that they have unfettered access to aid,” Freeman said. “Human rights must be at the centre of all relief efforts, and there must be no discrimination in aid provision.”
UNICEF, originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, has also addressed Myanmar’s precarious situation. A statement on the UNICEF USA website has called for “all parties to uphold the rights of children and ensure unhindered humanitarian access.”
As the affected areas continue to recover—a process that has only just begun—countries around the globe have come out to send humanitarian aid.
Here are the ways that you can help victims of the Myanmar earthquake.
U.N. Crisis Relief
The United Nations is calling for donations in addition to an initial allocation of $5 million from the U.N. Emergency Fund by Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. Donations will go directly to the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund, and will “provide them with urgently needed food, water, shelter and other basic support at this critical time.”
Red Cross
The “Red Cross Red Crescent is working to deliver emergency relief and to get help to those impacted by the earthquake as quickly as possible.” Teams from the Myanmar Red Cross Society are also working to connect hospitals and clinics with emergency blood donations.
UNICEF USA
UNICEF runs disaster relief operations focused on children’s needs and has asked for donations specifically for children impacted and displaced by the earthquake. “UNICEF is on the ground in Myanmar, working with partners to meet children's needs. The earthquake is the latest blow to a country already struggling with escalating conflict and climate shocks,” the agency’s website reads.
Save the Children
Save the Children is an international nongovernmental organization (NGO) that works specifically to protect children at risk. They have launched a “Children’s Emergency Fund” for youths in Myanmar in need of shelter and other basic needs in the aftermath of the disaster.
Project HOPE
Project HOPE is working to “address both urgent and long-term needs, including primary and mental health, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene,” for those affected by the earthquake. The nonprofit organization has previously responded to other natural disasters by deploying humanitarian aid to places such as Morocco, Syria, Turkey, and Haiti.
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