The Myanmar earthquake has left more than 3,000 dead and many thousands injured, yet, the humanitarian aid effort is being hampered by an information blackout. Humanitarians say that medical supplies for blood transfusions are among urgent needs.

By Joel Adriano

Almost one week after a massive earthquake in Myanmar, global humanitarian aid is only slowly trickling in, hampered by violence, communication blackouts and bureaucracy, relief organisations say.

The window for finding survivors is rapidly closing following the 7.7 magnitude quake that struck central Myanmar on Friday (28 March), reducing whole communities in the war-torn country to rubble and leaving thousands in need of medical care and vital supplies.

On Thursday (3 April), Myanmar’s military junta confirmed over 3,000 dead and more than 4,700 injured, plus several hundred more missing as search and rescue operations continue.

The impact was also felt hundreds of miles away in neighbouring Thailand, where an unfinished high-rise building collapsed in Bangkok.

The epicentre was in Sagaing region, close to Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, and the capital, Naypyidaw. But the damage spans multiple states and regions, according to UN agencies.

“The devastation is really alarming,” said Melissa Hein, head of communications for the World Food Programme in Myanmar, in an online press briefing.

“Colleagues are reporting buildings turning to rubble, homes destroyed, significant damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

“Electricity supplies are still down. In many places communication is patchy at best. And add to this is the destruction of hospitals and the lack of clean water.”

Communications blackout

The true picture of the devastation remains sketchy, given the severe restrictions on media coverage and communications blackouts.

On Sunday (30 March), the regime’s spokesman, Zaw Min Tun, said in an audio statement that foreign media would not be allowed to report on the earthquake from inside the country. At the same time, the junta also imposed restrictions on local media.

Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into a civil war and a humanitarian crisis. Even before the earthquake, almost 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN.

Since the quake, rebel groups announced a ceasefire to support relief efforts. The military had refused to do the same, but on Wednesday (2 April) announced a temporary ceasefire until 22 April.

However, NGOs say communication blackouts and other challenges are complicating rescue efforts.

Etienne L’Hermitte, strategic communications advisor for the medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières/MSF), said many affected areas remain hard to reach.

“Some international and usually local responders are present, but the ability to scale up aid efforts based on the needs will depend on the facilitation of humanitarian access and the movement of essential supplies and personnel,” he told SciDev.Net.

“Myanmar is a bureaucratic environment, and administrative procedures have to be carried out at multiple levels, adding a certain complexity to the process.”

Three-year response

Richard Gordon, chair of the Philippine Red Cross, described the disaster as “humongous and catastrophic”. He believes humanitarian efforts on the ground could take at least three years.

Gordon told SciDev.Net that Myanmar had formally requested aid from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of which it is a member. He said they will be sending a team of doctors and nurses.

NGOs are still awaiting an assessment to determine the damage and identify where help is needed, he said, adding that a lack of information on the ground is a major challenge.

“There is language problem, lack of information on the terrain, area, etc.,” he said, pointing to a need for greater collaboration with countries such as Canada and the UK.

According to another source, because of the volatility within the country, Red Cross and other humanitarian groups are getting their assessments of the situation from AI tech companies.

The World Health Organization says hospitals are overwhelmed with the number of injured coming in. It says there is a growing shortage of food, water and medical supplies, including for blood transfusions.

MSF is particularly concerned about those with trauma injuries, as lifesaving assistance is urgent in the initial 72 hours after a disaster.

Paul Brockmann, MSF operations manager for Myanmar, Bangladesh and Malaysia, said: “The ability to deploy assessment teams and, ideally, surgical capacity, are critical in the first hours and days after any earthquake if we hope to respond with life and limb-saving surgical care for people injured.”

People who rely on daily treatment to manage chronic conditions such as HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes and hypertension have become even more vulnerable due to a lack of access to shelter, health care, and medicines, says MSF.

Julia Rees, deputy representative for UNICEF, says children are particularly at risk, with families sleeping in the open, their homes destroyed.

“The psychological trauma of this is obviously immense,” she said.

“For children who are already living through conflict and displacement, this disaster has added yet another layer of fear and loss.”