Myanmar humanitarian crisis deepens after earthquake

RAVAGED by four years of civil war, Myanmar is ill-prepared to cope with the destruction wrought by Friday’s severe earthquake.

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The 7.7-magnitude quake that struck Friday has killed more than 1,700 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

But the bloody conflict sparked by the 2021 military coup has brought the country’s infrastructure, health care system and power network to their knees.

The UN and aid agencies have warned that millions were already facing a dire humanitarian crisis before the quake, and are now in urgent need of yet more aid.

Much of the country was already plagued by a punishing lack of conflict, poverty and instability after the civil war that left 3 million people displaced and shattered the economy.

“The last 3.5 years have been incredibly difficult, and now the people in need are in this humanitarian assistance, and this is just before the earthquake,” said UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Myanmar Marcoluigi Corsi.

“The situation will be further aggravated.”