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The Guardian
01-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Myanmar junta accused of blocking aid for earthquake victims as airstrikes continue
Myanmar's military is facing criticism over continued airstrikes and claims it is blocking aid to earthquake survivors, as international agencies urged 'unfettered access' to humanitarian aid in the conflict-riven nation. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit central Myanmar on Friday has caused widespread destruction, killing more than 2,000 people and leaving affected areas in dire need of basic necessities such as food and water. Two Australia-based doctors helping coordinate the emergency response at the epicentre in Mandalay and Sagaing have accused the junta of blocking supplies of emergency aid. 'Some of the supplies of aid, well most of it, was not given to the people who need it. In some areas in Mandalay the aid did not arrive. The aid was confiscated by the military junta,' said Dr Nang Win. Since the earthquake hit, Dr Nang has been communicating with colleagues in Mandalay, where she says aid has been scarce and makeshift clinics are being set up in lieu of a proper emergency response system. One medical colleague in the city, she said, had signed paperwork to receive $1,000 in aid, but received only about $100 worth of it, claiming the skimmed supplies would probably end up in a disaster black market. 'Then there is a market that happens and they have to go around and buy their own,' she said. Since Myanmar's military seized power in a February 2021 coup, an armed resistance movement comprised of different ethnic groups has been locked in a chaotic and deadly civil war. Over the past year the junta has been consistently losing ground, controlling less than 30% of the country's territory, though it retains control of the biggest cities. In areas where the military does not have full control, the military has been blocking aid and preventing teams of rescuers from entering, said Dr Nang. 'If a group of rescuers comes and say we want to enter, especially in Sagaing, they will not let you, they will say you need a permit and once you get a permit it is too late,' she said. A spokesperson for the junta did not immediately respond to the claims. Dr Tun Aung Shwe, a medical doctor and Australian representative of Myanmar's exiled opposition National Unity Government (NUG), said the military was leveraging control of checkpoints to block medicine flowing to areas controlled by the NUG and ethnic resistance groups. 'Outside of the major cities, the military already checks and then tries to block the flow of aid,' he said, adding that local communities were forced to seek alternative routes. 'They're finding other ways. So it's getting there, but it's taking longer.' Emergency aid had been being blocked to areas such as Sagaing as well as Mogwe, he said. The claims come as the junta faces criticism for conducting airstrikes on villages. The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies, said in a statement the junta 'continues to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake'. International agencies have condemned the response. Tom Andrews, UN special rapporteur on Myanmar, said confirming what was happening on the ground was challenging due to communication outages but that there were 'consistent reports of aid being blocked' and that airstrikes were continuing. 'Instead of focusing every ounce of energy, attention and resources on saving lives the junta is taking lives. That's the first thing. Secondly, yesterday there have been consistent reports of aid being blocked, of aid workers being denied access at checkpoints,' he said. These reports were emerging from areas that are under opposition control or contested, he said, adding that the military should 'stop killing people and focus on saving people'. On Monday night, airstrikes were reported in Singu Township, Mandalay region, and Nawnghkio township, Shan State. 'Myanmar's military junta still invokes fear, even in the wake of a horrific natural disaster that killed and injured thousands,' said Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. 'The junta needs to break from its appalling past practice and ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in earthquake-affected areas.' Scot Marciel, a retired US diplomat and ambassador to Myanmar from 2016-2020 said the military had a bad track record when it came to providing assistance to its citizens in need. 'Myanmar has very poor infrastructure, and where the military government, where to the extent it controls things, [it] is not really going to lift much of a finger to help,' he said, 'It's a really bad place for it to happen.' During the Covid pandemic, he said, the military heavily restricted aid, providing oxygen mostly only to its supporters. During cyclone Nargis in 2008, a disaster that claimed almost 140,000 lives, the military leaders initially rejected all international aid. 'Their history shows that they basically are willing to stand by and let lots of suffering and even death happen, if not inflicting it themselves, rather than do anything that might risk their power position,' Marciel said.
Al Jazeera
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Myanmar-Thailand earthquake updates: 1,700 killed, aftershocks cause panic
Update: Date: 18h ago (16:50 GMT) Title: That's a wrap from us Content: Thank you for joining our live coverage of the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck parts of Myanmar and Thailand on Friday. You can continue following the story by reading our up-to-date news piece here. And you can also check out our report from Sagaing, the central Myanmar city closest to the epicentre of the magnitude 7.7 quake, here. We also have a picture gallery from both Myanmar and Thailand here. Update: Date: 18h ago (16:40 GMT) Title: Here's what happened today Content: We'll be closing this live page soon, so let's bring you up to speed with the day's main developments: Update: Date: 18h ago (16:22 GMT) Title: Ethnic armed group criticises Myanmar military government over attacks Content: The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies, has issued a statement criticising the military government for continuing to carry out air attacks 'targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake'. The group said under normal circumstances, the military would be prioritising relief efforts, but instead is focused on 'deploying forces to attack its people'. There was no immediate comment from the military government. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Update: Date: 19h ago (16:00 GMT) Title: Calls for Myanmar no-fly zone, humanitarian access Content: Chris Gunness, the director of Myanmar Accountability Project, has accused Myanmar's military government of using 'disproportionate and indiscriminate force against the very people who they say they are trying to assist'. 'This is an utter abomination. Even as the earthquake was striking, junta jets were attacking targets in Sagaing, the very epicentre of the earthquake,' he told Al Jazeera. Gunness urged the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution enforcing an extended humanitarian pause that would explicitly ban the usage of fighter jets, helicopters, motor paragliders and drones. 'There must be a no-fly zone imposed; we cannot see the junta using jets to bomb people,' he said, also calling for humanitarian access across the country and the restoration of telecommunications. 'If we are going to have a proper aid operation, that needs to come to force,' Gunness added, urging the international community to work with local, non-military government groups and ensure their protection. Update: Date: 19h ago (15:45 GMT) Title: Myanmar military government: What to know Content: Myanmar's military government seized power in a 2021 coup, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, ending the country's short-lived experiment with democracy after nearly 50 years of military rule. The military government is now fighting several rebel and ethnic groups across the country, all of whom oppose military rule. Its operations are largely funded through state-controlled businesses and international financial transactions, despite widespread sanctions. Military-controlled entities such as the Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited generate significant revenue for the current government. In addition, the military government has secured substantial arms deals with countries like Russia and China, giving it access to advanced weaponry. Update: Date: 19h ago (15:30 GMT) Title: Military government continues bombing parts of Myanmar Content: Myanmar's military government has continued to carry out attacks, even as Myanmar's main rebel movement announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to aid rescue efforts following the devastating earthquake. Air attacks have been reported on Pauk township in the country's northwest. Military forces also attacked Bhamo, in Kachin state, which borders China. As we've been reporting, Myanmar has faced widespread conflict since the 2021 military coup, with ethnic rebel groups fighting the military government. Update: Date: 19h ago (15:15 GMT) Title: 'We tried everything to save her' Content: We have some more information about Mathu Thu Lwin, the pregnant woman who was pronounced dead shortly after being pulled from a collapsed apartment block in Mandalay. Rescuers had to amputate the 35-year-old's leg in order to be able to release her after more than two days of entrapment in the wreckage of the Sky Villa Condominium. Chinese and Myanmar rescuers used a drill, a chainsaw and rotary saws to penetrate the concrete trapping her. She was eventually brought out soon after 8pm (02:30 GMT) and doctors examined her, performing CPR on a gurney, but she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. 'We tried everything to save her,' AFP quoted one of the medical team members as saying. Mathu Thu Lwin lost too much blood during the leg amputation to survive, and a makeshift operating theatre that had been prepared in an outbuilding to stabilise her went unused. Update: Date: 20h ago (15:00 GMT) Title: Photos: Search operation continues as night falls in Bangkok Content: Update: Date: 20h ago (14:45 GMT) Title: Pregnant woman trapped in Mandalay building pronounced dead after being freed Content: We have a regrettable update about the effort to save the pregnant woman who was under the wreckage of the Sky Villa apartment complex in Myanmar's second city of Mandalay. AFP is reporting that its journalists at the scene saw that Mathu Thu Lwin was pronounced dead shortly after she was freed after more than 55 hours under the rubble. Rescuers thought they had saved the life of the 35-year-old but they were unable to resuscitate her after extracting her from the ruins. Update: Date: 20h ago (14:30 GMT) Title: US pledges $2m in aid for quake-affected communities Content: The United States Embassy in Myanmar has issued a statement saying the US government will provide up to $2m 'through Myanmar-based humanitarian assistance organizations' to support communities affected by the earthquake. It added that an emergency response team from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which is underergoing massive cuts under the administration of US President Donald Trump, is deploying to Myanmar 'to identify the people's most pressing needs, including emergency shelter, food, medical needs, and access to water'. 'The United States stands with the people of Myanmar as they work to recover from the devastation. We offer our deepest condolences for the loss of life and infrastructure in this difficult time,' the statement concluded.
USA Today
30-03-2025
- General
- USA Today
Myanmar earthquake death toll rises: 'No rescue workers in sight'
Myanmar earthquake death toll rises: 'No rescue workers in sight' The 7.7-magnitude quake Friday rocked an impoverished Southeast Asian nation already beleaguered by years of civil war. Show Caption Hide Caption Deadly earthquake rocks Myanmar, Thailand A 7.7 earthquake shook Southeast Asia, killing over 140. The epicenter was near Mandalay, Myanmar. The number of confirmed deaths from Myanmar's devastating earthquake approached 1,700 Sunday and was expected to keep rising as rescue teams and aid agencies struggled to provide relief amid widespread rubble and growing desperation. The military government put the quake's tentative death toll at 1,644; thousands of others have been injured and hundreds are missing. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, leader of the military government, warned that the number of fatalities could rise and has pleaded for international assistance. The 7.7-magnitude quake Friday, centered near the northern city of Mandalay, rocked an impoverished Southeast Asian nation already beleaguered by years of civil war. The opposition National Unity Government announced a two-week cease-fire starting Sunday to carry out emergency rescue operations. But the Karen National Union, another opposition army, accused the ruling junta of continuing to conduct airstrikes in civilian areas. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it has mobilized hundreds of volunteers to aid search and rescue efforts, provide first aid and distribute emergency relief items such as blankets, tarpaulins and hygiene kits. "This is not just a disaster, it is a complex humanitarian crisis layered over existing vulnerabilities,' said Alexander Matheou, Red Cross regional director for Asia Pacific. Developments: ∎ The main airport in Myanmar's capital Naypyitaw, about 150 miles south of Mandalay, was closed after its air traffic control tower collapsed, killing at least six people, Myanmar Now reported. ∎ In Mandalay, scores of people were feared trapped under collapsed buildings while heavy machinery rescuers needed to search the rubble was in short supply. ∎ Crematoriums in Mandalay were overwhelmed, forcing some families to cremate loved ones in the streets, Myanmar Now reported. Devastation: More deaths reported after Myanmar earthquake The epicenter of the quaked struck near Mandalay, with 1.5 million people the nation's second-largest city. The collapse of sections of a major bridge connecting Mandalay to Sagaing, home to another 300,000 people, slowed the delivery of aid. The Sagaing Federal Unit Hluttaw, a political association, wrote on social media that the situation was dire and there was concern that "people will forget the small city." "There are not enough charities in the town," the association wrote. "We are only rescuing as much as we can, so the situation is getting worse with time." Sagaing resident Han Zin told Reuters much of the town still had no electricity Sunday and that drinking water was running low. "What we are seeing here is widespread destruction. Many buildings have collapsed into the ground," he said. "We have received no aid, and there are no rescue workers in sight." India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Russia were among countries in the region that rushed to help Myanmar. The United States pledged $2 million in aid funneled through humanitarian organizations and was sending an emergency response team from U.S. Aid for International Development, which is undergoing massive cutbacks under the Trump administration. The task is monumental. The civil war, prompted by a 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, had left the nation's critical infrastructure battered and more than 3 million people displaced. 'Myanmar continues to face internal displacement and food insecurity," Matheou said. "This earthquake exacerbates an already fragile situation." The quake also shook parts of neighboring Thailand, killing at least 18 people across the capital of Bangkok where an unfinished 30-story building collapsed. Thai authorities said at least 76 people remained trapped under the debris, and rescue operations continued for a third day using drones and sniffer dogs to hunt for survivors. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Sunday that the building, being constructed by China, should have withstood the quake, the Bangkok Post reported. He said a committee formed to probe the collapse was expected to conclude it work in seven days. China has sent an expert to inspect the building, and four Chinese workers were questioned for seizing construction documents, he said. Contributing: Reuters
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amid earthquake crisis, Myanmar military still bombs towns
(Reuters) - An armed resistance movement against Myanmar's military-run government criticised the junta on Sunday for conducting airstrikes on villages even as the country reels from an earthquake that has killed around 1,700 people. The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies, said in a statement that the junta "continues to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake". The group said that under normal circumstances, the military would be prioritising relief efforts, but instead is focused on "deploying forces to attack its people". A spokesman for the junta did not reply to queries from Reuters about the criticism. Myanmar has been locked in civil war with multiple armed opposition groups since a 2021 coup, when the military seized power from the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Shortly after Friday's devastating earthquake, military jets launched airstrikes and drone attacks in Karen state, near the KNU headquarters, according to the Free Burma Rangers, a relief organisation. The epicentre of the 7.7-magnitude quake was in an area held by junta forces, but the devastation is widespread and also affected some territory held by armed resistance movements. On Sunday, the opposition National Unity Government, which includes remnants of the government ousted in 2021, said anti-junta militias under its command would pause all offensive military action for two weeks. Richard Horsey, the senior Myanmar adviser at Crisis Group, said some anti-junta forces have halted their offensives but fighting continues elsewhere. "The regime also continues to launch airstrikes, including in affected areas. That needs to stop," he said. He added that the regime was not providing much visible support in quake-hit areas. "Local fire brigades, ambulance crews, and community organisations have mobilised, but the military - who would normally be mobilised to support in such a crisis - are nowhere to be seen," Horsey said.
Reuters
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Amid earthquake crisis, Myanmar military still bombs towns
March 30 (Reuters) - An armed resistance movement against Myanmar's military-run government criticised the junta on Sunday for conducting airstrikes on villages even as the country reels from an earthquake that has killed around 1,700 people. The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies, said in a statement that the junta "continues to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake". The group said that under normal circumstances, the military would be prioritising relief efforts, but instead is focused on "deploying forces to attack its people". A spokesman for the junta did not reply to queries from Reuters about the criticism. Myanmar has been locked in civil war with multiple armed opposition groups since a 2021 coup, when the military seized power from the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Shortly after Friday's devastating earthquake, military jets launched airstrikes and drone attacks in Karen state, near the KNU headquarters, according to the Free Burma Rangers, a relief organisation. The epicentre of the 7.7-magnitude quake was in an area held by junta forces, but the devastation is widespread and also affected some territory held by armed resistance movements. On Sunday, the opposition National Unity Government, which includes remnants of the government ousted in 2021, said anti-junta militias under its command would pause all offensive military action for two weeks. Richard Horsey, the senior Myanmar adviser at Crisis Group, said some anti-junta forces have halted their offensives but fighting continues elsewhere. "The regime also continues to launch airstrikes, including in affected areas. That needs to stop," he said. He added that the regime was not providing much visible support in quake-hit areas. "Local fire brigades, ambulance crews, and community organisations have mobilised, but the military - who would normally be mobilised to support in such a crisis - are nowhere to be seen," Horsey said.
