Ten Days On: Myanmar Earthquake Crisis Deepens as Health System Collapses and Threats Multiply
Ten days after a massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake devastated central Myanmar, the confirmed death toll has risen to more than 3,500, with United Nations officials warning that the figure is “likely to rise.” Titon Mitra, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Representative in Myanmar, shared the grim update from the heavily affected city of Mandalay, describing the situation as having entered a “tragic phase,” as emergency efforts transition from rescue to recovery.
More than 4,000 people have been injured, and the destruction is widespread — over 80 percent of buildings in key areas including Mandalay, Sagaing, and Magway have sustained significant damage. Hundreds of thousands of survivors remain in urgent need of assistance.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, with medical facilities unable to cope with the influx of patients, Mitra reported. Supplies of essential medicines and healthcare items are critically low. Data from the UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, indicates that more than 500,000 people across the country no longer have access to life-saving healthcare services.
Sanitation and health risks are mounting rapidly. With water pipes and storage facilities destroyed, access to safe drinking water is severely limited, increasing the threat of waterborne diseases. “Sanitation is now becoming a critical issue,” said Mitra, explaining that thousands of displaced people are resorting to open defecation.
Relentless rainfall has struck the region earlier than expected, worsening living conditions for survivors. The early monsoon has not only complicated relief operations but also added to the suffering of those without shelter, many of whom are sleeping outside in unsafe conditions.
Monsoon Threat Looms Large
The Myanmar Meteorology Department is forecasting more rain and strong winds throughout much of the country until at least Friday, amplifying the crisis. Shelter remains a key concern, as many residents are too frightened to return to their damaged homes and continue to sleep outdoors, often without even a tarpaulin for protection.
Food insecurity is also escalating. “Markets are severely disrupted, incomes have disappeared, and there are emerging signs of hyperinflation,” Mitra said. The UN is conducting rapid needs assessments, and UNDP teams on the ground are evaluating the structural safety of damaged buildings, including hospitals.
In one stark example, patients at a hospital in Sagaing are being treated in the open air due to fears that the damaged building could collapse. “They’re in the car park in 40°C heat,” said Mitra. “If the structure is deemed safe, we’re working to move them back in as soon as possible.”
Ceasefire Offers Hope for Humanitarian Access
Despite ongoing instability, a ceasefire announced shortly after the quake by both military and resistance forces has allowed some humanitarian operations to proceed. However, challenges remain, particularly in areas controlled by different factions.
Mitra stressed the importance of ensuring that aid reaches all affected communities, regardless of who controls the territory. “With an active civil war, we must guarantee that military-coordinated assistance is also reaching those in resistance-held areas,” he said.
Deeper Crisis in an Already Struggling Nation
This earthquake is being described as Myanmar’s worst disaster since Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which claimed more than 130,000 lives. The quake has further intensified existing humanitarian challenges in a country already worn down by conflict, poverty, and displacement.
Even before the earthquake, nearly 20 percent of Myanmar’s rice fields had been lost to the ongoing civil war, more than 3.5 million people had been displaced, and 15 million were facing acute food insecurity. An estimated 19.9 million people already required humanitarian aid.
Mitra concluded with a sobering appeal to the international community: “I hope that when global attention inevitably shifts away from Myanmar, this disaster does not fade into the background. It must not become yet another forgotten crisis.”
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