The WHO Responds to Earthquake Emergency in Myanmar Amid Mounting Health Crisis
The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is leading efforts to respond to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, following a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that devastated parts of the country. With hospitals overwhelmed, medical supplies rapidly depleting, and aid workers facing immense challenges, WHO is calling for urgent global support to prevent a potential health catastrophe.
Speaking from Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar’s capital, WHO Deputy Representative Elena Vuolo described the situation as “an emergency within an emergency.”
“Even before the earthquake, nearly 12 million people in Myanmar required healthcare assistance,” she said in an interview with UN News. “Now, the situation has significantly deteriorated.”
Earthquake Aftermath: Lives Lost and Infrastructure Damaged
As of now, more than 3,900 people have died, and nearly 6,000 have been seriously injured. With 86 percent of healthcare facilities reportedly damaged, providing critical surgical and trauma care is a struggle. Compounding the crisis are growing fears of a resurgence of disease, particularly cholera and malaria, in displaced communities living in precarious conditions.
WHO was quick to mobilize after the quake struck, transporting trauma care kits from its Yangon warehouse within 24 hours. Since then, it has been working nonstop with other UN agencies and international emergency medical teams to deploy resources and sustain operations.
“Several hospitals have collapsed,” Vuolo explained. “This was already a fragile healthcare system, weakened by four years of crisis. The earthquake only deepened the existing humanitarian emergency.”
Key Health Needs: Trauma Care, Disease Prevention, and Supplies
The most urgent needs are surgical and trauma care, alongside preventive measures against potential disease outbreaks. WHO has delivered nearly 100 tonnes of humanitarian medical supplies in the past week, but access to care remains limited for thousands of injured and chronically ill patients.
“We recently faced a case where one of our colleagues was injured. Multiple hospitals were unable to treat her because they had no supplies,” Vuolo recounted. “That happened just two hours after the earthquake. It highlights how unprepared and under-resourced the system is.”
In Mandalay, one of the hardest-hit regions, cholera remains a serious concern due to water and sanitation issues. Last year, a limited vaccine campaign reached only a portion of the population. Now, with conditions deteriorating, WHO warns of a potential resurgence.
“We’re working to prevent outbreaks amid serious funding cuts and reduced international aid,” Vuolo said. “The needs are growing—water, sanitation, food, shelter, and healthcare. We are operating in one of the world’s most fragile contexts.”
Psychosocial Impact: Two Frontlines of Trauma
In addition to the physical health crisis, there’s a growing mental health emergency among both affected communities and frontline health workers. WHO has prioritized psychosocial and mental health support, especially in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas.
“Healthcare workers are the heroes of this response,” Vuolo emphasized. “They’re treating patients in tents under 39°C heat, enduring power outages and a lack of basic resources—often while dealing with their own losses.”
WHO is supporting these workers and communities through its health cluster partners, providing mental health services in both clinical and community-based settings. Frequent aftershocks have only heightened the sense of fear and instability among survivors living in temporary shelters.
Urgent Needs and Call for Global Solidarity
WHO has launched an $8 million flash appeal to fund the immediate response over the next 30 days. The appeal aims to cover trauma care, disease prevention, essential medicines, and maintenance of routine healthcare services, including maternal and child health and treatment for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, tuberculosis, and HIV.
“This appeal is vital to sustain our operations,” said Vuolo. “But beyond this initial response, we need long-term support for reconstruction—of hospitals, schools, and basic services.”
The broader challenge, however, lies in the declining level of international funding. Vuolo highlighted that Myanmar’s health cluster had received less than 2 percent of its funding requirement as of March. She expressed concern that donor countries, particularly the United States and others, have reduced humanitarian contributions in favor of increased military spending.
“Until late 2024, Myanmar was among the world’s least-funded crises,” she noted. “We’re not saying Myanmar is forgotten, but certainly, it deserves more global attention—especially now.”
She called for renewed global commitment, innovative partnerships, and regional cooperation to meet the scale of the crisis.
“There are global consequences when countries cut funding for humanitarian aid,” Vuolo warned. “From Myanmar to Gaza to Afghanistan, people are dying from treatable diseases because health systems are collapsing in underfunded emergencies.”
Encouragingly, international medical teams have arrived and are playing a critical role in delivering care. But with growing health and humanitarian needs, WHO continues to urge the international community to act swiftly and decis
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