Earthquake shock in Myanmar: Thousands of victims and urgent help needed!

Earthquake shock in Myanmar: Thousands of victims and urgent help needed!

On March 28, 2025, a severe earthquake struck central Myanmar, about 50 kilometers east of Monywa. The cause of the earthquake and its devastating effects have already affected a significant number of people. Estimates suggest that several thousand people will die, while around six million people will suffer from the consequences of the disaster. The earthquake was felt as far away as the Thai capital Bangkok. Experts warn of further severe aftershocks that could cause additional destruction.

Gerald Creator, President of the Austrian Red Cross, has launched an urgent appeal for donations to help the people affected. A joint humanitarian response effort highlights the need to act quickly to make urgently needed resources available. The donation information is as follows: IBAN: AT57 2011 1400 1440 0144, BIC: GIBAATWWXXX, Erste Bank, bank code 20.111, password: Earthquake Southeast Asia. The Red Cross emphasizes how important every donation, no matter how small, is to save lives.

Urgent measures to help

Welthungerhilfe is also called upon to provide immediate emergency aid to ensure the survival of people in earthquake zones. The necessary measures include the distribution of food, drinking water and hygiene products as well as the construction of temporary shelters. In many regions affected by earthquakes, it is crucial to get essential supplies to people as quickly as possible to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

A key goal of the international organization is to strengthen people's resilience in order to mitigate the effects of future disasters. Through the principle of “Early Warning and Early Action”, a risk analysis is carried out in collaboration with local partners and government bodies, followed by preventive measures to prevent disasters.

Comparable disasters

To better understand the extent of the current tragedy, it is worth taking a look at past earthquake events, such as the one in Nepal in 2015. There, two earthquakes on April 25th and May 12th with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.2 on the Richter scale resulted in around 600,000 houses being destroyed, with up to 90 percent of the infrastructure being affected in urban areas such as Kathmandu. This catastrophe meant the end of the livelihoods of many people and left devastating consequences that are still visible today. Since then, Welthungerhilfe has initiated long-term reconstruction and disaster prevention projects.

Reconstruction in the affected areas is proceeding very slowly and many of those affected continue to live in temporary accommodation. Their fate exemplifies the need for sustained investment in prevention measures, which prove to be more effective in the long term than reactive aid after disasters.

In order to help the victims of the current earthquake in Myanmar, humanitarian aid is needed as quickly as possible. Every contribution can make a difference.