THOUSANDS OF MYANMAR CHILDREN FACE MISERY ONE YEAR AFTER DEADLY EARTHQUAKE 

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, March 28 (Bernama) -- As Myanmar observes the first anniversary of its deadly earthquake, an international organisation cautions that many children are still struggling with the trauma of the disaster and need humanitarian support.

A powerful earthquake measuring  7.7 on the Richter scale struck central Myanmar on March 28 last year, with its epicentre located near the cities of Mandalay and Sagaing. 

About 3,800 people lost their lives in the disaster.

Save the Children in a statement said some children lost loved ones, while others still bear the mental scars of having lived through the terrifying disaster.

The organisation’s Asia Regional Director, Arshad Malik, urged the international community not to ignore children in Myanmar as other global crises compete for attention and resources.

“Myanmar’s earthquake might have been over in mere moments but the impacts of a disaster like that reverberate long after tragedy strikes. Children in Myanmar are still dealing with fear, grief, and loss,” said Arshad.

Save the Children and its partners distributed food, drinking water, emergency kits, personal hygiene items, tarpaulin, and rope for temporary shelters after the earthquake. One year on, it has assisted over 275,000 people, including about 80,000 children, said the organisation.

The Southeast Asian nation is vulnerable to natural disasters from typhoons, earthquakes, flooding, and landslides, which can have a devastating impact on its population and economy.

The March earthquake destroyed farmlands, properties, power lines, and bridges, causing tremendous suffering for the people, many of whom rely on the agriculture sector.

More than 55 million people in Myanmar, a resource-rich country, continue to face recurrent weather calamities every year that affect their livelihoods.

In addition, the military coup in 2021 further compounded their economic distress, after Myanmar faced further isolation from the international community.

The economic crisis has also deepened due to the ongoing conflicts between the military and various armed ethnic groups in parts of the country. 

According to United Nations data, at least three million people have been internally displaced by prolonged conflict, coup, and natural disasters as of 2024.

-- BERNAMA