Dangers grow for Myanmar earthquake survivors, health system 'overwhelmed' - UNDP

In earthquake-shattered central Myanmar people are sleeping in the streets in fear of buildings collapsing, facing early monsoon rains and the risk of waterborne diseases, the UN Development Programme warned on Tuesday.

Ten days after a 7.7 magnitude quake levelled buildings and buckled bridges across central Myanmar, the latest death toll has passed 3,500 and is “likely to rise”, said Titon Mitra, UNDP Regional Representative in the country, speaking from the devastated city of Mandalay.

He said that the response has moved into a “tragic phase” shifting from rescue to recovery efforts.

Well over 4,000 people have been injured in the quakes last week and more than 80 per cent of buildings have been damaged, especially in the major townships of Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway.

“The health system is completely overwhelmed, hospitals are unable to cope with the number of patients they're dealing with”, Mr. Mitra said, adding that medicines and healthcare items are in “incredibly short supply”.

According to the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA), more than 500,000 people across the country have been left without access to life-saving health care.

UNDP’s Mr. Mitra also stressed that the risk of waterborne diseases is very high because urban water pipe systems are broken and water storage facilities are damaged.

“Sanitation is now becoming a big issue as people who have been forced out of their homes are resorting to open defecation,” he warned.

The disaster has been compounded by intense rainfall which started earlier than expected last week in Mandalay, impacting the response and worsening the living conditions of homeless survivors. Myanmar’s meteorology department forecasts rain and strong winds in large parts of the country through Friday.

Mr. Mitra said that shelter is a major issue. People are “fearful” to go back into their damaged homes are sleeping on the streets at night, “often without any sort of cover”, he told journalists in Geneva via video link .

Food is also in huge demand as markets are “severely disrupted” in Sagaing and Magway, people don't have incomes and there are “signs of hyperinflation in place”, he said.

Mr. Mitra insisted that the UN system is mobilized and has conducted initial rapid needs assessments. UNDP is also evaluating the integrity of buildings to determine if they are safe to use.

This uncertainty has impacted a hospital in Sagaing where “all the patients are in the car park in 40°C heat”, he said. “If we consider the building can accommodate them, then we want to move them back as quickly as possible.”

Turning to the issue of humanitarian relief, Mr. Mitra stressed the need to ensure that it is provided impartially. Hostilities have not stopped entirely but he expressed optimism that aid can reach all those in need, following the ceasefire announced days after the disaster by the military and resistance groups.

It remains the case that the military authorities control many affected areas and coordinate the provision of support.

“With an active civil war, we have to make sure that the aid, if it's coordinated by military authorities, is going to areas which may be in resistance control,” he stressed.

The earthquake disaster – second only to Cylone Nargis in 2008 that killed more than 130,000 people - has compounded chronic and “very deep vulnerabilities” in Myanmar, the UNDP official maintained.

The country’s people have already suffered more than four years of fighting sparked by the military junta’s February 2021 coup d’état. Prior to the earthquakes, nearly 20 per cent of the rice fields were already lost to conflict, more than 3.5 million people had been forced to flee their homes, over 15 million were facing hunger and an estimated 19.9 million were in need of assistance.

“I hope… when the cameras turn away from Myanmar, as they inevitably will and have in the past, that this doesn't return to being a neglected crisis”, he concluded.

-Ends -

STORY: Myanmar earthquake update UNDP 8 April 2025

TRT: 3:00”

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 8 APRIL 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, Flag Alley.

2. Wide shot: Speaker at the podium of the press conference from rear; speaker on screens; journalists in the Press room.

3. SOUNDBITE (English) – Titon Mitra, Regional Representative in Myanmar, UN Development Programme (UNDP): “The latest death count has now exceeded 3,500 and is likely to rise. There's well over 4,000 people injured and 80 per cent of buildings are damaged, probably half of those in the major townships of Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway are severely damaged.”

4. Wide shot: Speaker on screens; journalists in the Press room.

5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Titon Mitra, Regional Representative in Myanmar, UN Development Programme (UNDP): “The health system is completely overwhelmed, hospitals are unable to cope with the number of patients they're dealing with. There's an incredibly short supply of medicines and medical supplies.”

6. Wide shot: Speaker on screens; journalists in the Press room.

7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Titon Mitra, Regional Representative in Myanmar, UN Development Programme (UNDP): “[There is a] very high risk of waterborne diseases with the urban water pipe systems broken, water storage facilities damaged, and sanitation is now becoming a big issue as people who have been forced out of their homes are resorting to open defecation.”

8. Wide shot: Speaker on screens; journalists in the Press room.

9. SOUNDBITE (English) – Titon Mitra, Regional Representative in Myanmar, UN Development Programme (UNDP): “Shelter is a really big issue, and we've had recent rains. So, people who are really fearful to go back into their homes are sleeping on the streets at night. And they're often without any sort of cover. Food is an immediate issue. Markets are severely disrupted, not operational, certainly in Sagaing and Magway. And people don't have incomes. And we're seeing pretty, already signs of hyperinflation in place.”

10. Wide shot: Journalists in the Press room.

11. SOUNDBITE (English) – Titon Mitra, Regional Representative in Myanmar, UN Development Programme (UNDP): “We're also undertaking rapid building and integrity assessments just to see which buildings can be used. For example, the hospital in Sagaing, all the patients are in the car park in 40 degree heat. And if we consider the building can be, can accommodate them, then we want to move them back as quickly as possible.”

12. Wide shot: Speaker on screens; journalists in the Press room.

13. SOUNDBITE (English) – Titon Mitra, Regional Representative in Myanmar, UN Development Programme (UNDP): “We are very dependent on those authorities to coordinate the support. But the concern of course, is that that coordination has to be done in a way where aid does not become politicized, and those in need receive it. And as you know, with an active civil war, we have to make sure that the aid, if it's coordinated by military authorities, is going to areas which may be in resistance control.”

14. Various shots of journalists in the Press room.