In response to the devastating earthquakes that struck Myanmar on March 28 — a 7.7 magnitude quake and an aftershock of 6.4 magnitude — the Humanitarian Coalition is accepting donations to provide critical life-saving support to children and families.
Ten of the Humanitarian Coalition's members already had active programming in Myanmar, and are ramping up their humanitarian activities to address urgent life-saving needs, including:
- shelter
- essential household items
- food and health support
- water, sanitation and hygiene services
- critical protection and mental health and psychosocial support
Scale of the destruction and context:
- The 7.7 magnitude earthquake is the largest to hit Myanmar in more than 100 years and it hit less than 20kms from Mandalay, the second largest city in the country.
- Tens of thousands of structures like schools, hospitals and homes have collapsed partially or completely.
- More than 2,700 people are confirmed dead, 10,000 more are injured, and tragically, it is expected that these numbers will continue to grow significantly as rescue efforts continue.
- This crisis hit Myanmar in the midst of an armed conflict, political unrest and on the back of several natural disasters like severe floods and heat waves in 2024.
- The number of displaced people before March 28th was upwards of 3.5 million and this crisis will surely worsen the situation.
- As the temperatures are expected to continue rising above 40°C throughout April and May, so will the hardship of families and individuals living in temporary shelters, elevating health risks and complicating humanitarian operations.
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For media inquiries, contact us at 647-571-4563 or media@humanitariancoalition.ca
The Humanitarian Coalition (HC) brings together leading aid organizations to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to donate during large-scale humanitarian emergencies. The HC also partners with Global Affairs Canada to enable its member agencies to respond to lesser-known small and medium-scale disasters.