Quake crisis is too big to ignore

On March 28, Myanmar was struck by the most devastating earthquake in its history. The disaster reduced much of Mandalay, the country’s second largest city, to rubble. Nay Pyi Taw, the administrative capital, and several towns across central Myanmar also suffered massive destruction.

- 

The earthquake has amplified Myanmar’s already precarious situation. Even before the disaster, it was home to one of the world’s deadliest conflicts; over 200 non-state armed groups are engaged in territorial battles, funding their operations through illicit trade, black markets, and cyber scams. The country is now the world’s largest supplier of heroin and the primary supplier of synthetic drugs. The ongoing conflict has destabilised the region, prompting neighbouring countries to push for containment strategies. Now, with this earthquake, Myanmar is at risk of spiralling wholly out of control if it is added to these non-traditional sources of pressure.