Hannah Felsbourg
31 March 2025
The international community is sending aid to assist thousands affected by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Myanmar.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, March 28, 2025, killing more than 1700 people and injuring over 3400, according to United Nations reports.
Rescue efforts continue in devastated areas including Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyidaw and Magway, with hundreds still missing beneath collapsed buildings.
Anglican Overseas Aid CEO Jo Knight said prayer was an essential complement to practical aid.
“Our offerings are but small in such an overwhelming situation of need, but in God’s power He can work to bring healing in such brokenness,” Ms Knight said.
She said the church on the ground could be an incredible force for good in the disaster response.
“We send our practical support with our prayers—they go hand in hand,” Ms Knight said.
According to Caritas Australia, at least 20 fatalities occurred at a mosque in Mandalay, while the air traffic control tower at Naypyidaw Airport collapsed, killing all staff on duty.
The organisation also reported that a 1000-bed hospital in Naypyidaw was now a mass casualty area, with Mandalay General Hospital full and no longer admitting patients.
Read more: Prayer vigil for violence-wracked Myanmar this Saturday
AOA disaster response and resilience coordinator Tim Hartley said Myanmar had suffered several disasters in recent years.
He said the country was still responding to Typhoon Yagi which struck in September 2024.
“Myanmar’s civil war has directed many national resources toward conflict, severely impacting the country’s resilience,” Mr Hartley said.
Ms Knight said the earthquake had hit a country already facing multiple humanitarian crises.
She said the situation was particularly complex because the earthquake had struck across zones of civil conflict, with some areas held by government and some by rebels.
According to UN News reports, Myanmar has been in civil war since February 2021 when military authorities overthrew the civilian government and launched a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
Opposition forces have called for a two-week ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.
Amnesty International reported that more than three million people remained internally displaced from the armed conflict.
AI Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman stated Myanmar’s military had a longstanding practice of denying aid to areas where groups who resist it were active.
UN News also reported that despite the earthquake’s devastation, some military airstrikes had continued in affected regions, further complicating rescue and aid efforts.
Read more: They can’t breathe: Myanmar’s military rulers deny oxygen to their people in COVID crisis
AOA is working through its ACT Alliance partner Christian Aid to deliver emergency assistance.
Ms Knight said local partners through church agencies were already positioned in the affected areas and were currently conducting rapid needs assessments.
Mr Hartley said teams on the ground were traveling to impacted areas to assess, categorise and catalogue the damage and its severity.
He said the initial response would focus on distributing food, water, and shelter to the hardest-hit regions.
Caritas Australia humanitarian manager Sally Thomas said emergency services were battling against destroyed infrastructure and struggling to move tons of rubble to save lives.
She noted that blocked roads and damaged hospitals were hampering recovery efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Those wishing to support Myanmar earthquake relief can donate through appeals launched by Anglican Overseas Aid or Caritas Australia.
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