Aftershocks hit Mandalay.. "The WHO" requests urgent funding

Myanmar earthquake a state of emergency

 Search operations continue, and the "WHO" declares the Myanmar earthquake a state of emergency.

The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the Myanmar earthquake as a level 1 emergency and requested urgent funding of $8 million to save lives and prevent disease outbreaks over the next 30 days. The organization warned of the risk of further injuries due to the country's limited surgical capacity, noting that the conditions Myanmar faced before the earthquake make this likely.

In its urgent appeal for funding, the organization stated that it has "classified this crisis as a Level 3 emergency," referring to the highest level of emergency response activation. According to the organization, "Initial assessments indicate a large number of injured and trauma-related injuries, with urgent needs for emergency care. Electricity and water supplies remain cut off, making access to healthcare more difficult and exacerbating the risk of waterborne and foodborne diseases."

The organization noted "the high risk of infection and complications in trauma-related injuries, including fractures, lacerations, and crush syndrome, due to limited surgical capacity and inadequate infection prevention and control."

The World Health Organization said it requires $8 million to respond to urgent health needs over the next 30 days "to save lives, prevent disease, stabilize, and restore essential health services." It added, "Without immediate funding, lives will be lost and fragile health systems will falter."

This comes as rescuers and residents in Mandalay continued searching for survivors under collapsed buildings on Sunday as aftershocks struck the city, two days after a devastating earthquake that killed more than 1,700 people in Myanmar and at least 18 in neighboring Thailand.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck northwest of Sagaing, central Myanmar, on Friday afternoon at a shallow depth. Minutes later, a 6.7-magnitude aftershock struck the same area. The tremors collapsed buildings, bridges, and roads, causing widespread destruction in the city of more than 1.7 million people.

Myanmar's ruling junta said on Saturday that the earthquake had killed about 1,700 people and injured more than 3,400, most of them in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest and hardest-hit city. At least 300 people were missing. The extent of the disaster remains difficult to assess, especially given the communications blackout.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing issued a rare appeal for international aid, calling on "any country and any organization" to provide assistance. In the past, the military has been reluctant to seek foreign support after natural disasters.

Partial Ceasefire

Scenes of chaos and destruction have raised fears of a major disaster in a country consumed by civil war since a military coup in 2021. For their part, rebels fighting the military junta declared a partial two-week ceasefire in earthquake-affected areas starting Sunday, according to a statement from the shadow government.

The United Nations warned on Saturday that a "severe shortage" of medical supplies was affecting relief efforts in Myanmar, stressing that shortages included trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, some essential medicines, and tents for rescue workers. Damage to hospitals and other health infrastructure caused by the earthquake is further complicating rescue operations.

Humanitarian organizations have warned that Myanmar is woefully unprepared to handle a disaster of this magnitude. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched an emergency appeal on Sunday for more than $100 million to assist victims.

The conflict in the country has displaced approximately 3.5 million people, according to the United Nations. The international organization warned in late January that 15 million citizens in Myanmar were at risk of starvation by 2025. Rescue teams and aid from donor countries are arriving in Myanmar, with Thailand sending 55 soldiers and six rescue dogs on Sunday, along with equipment including cranes and excavators.